Vignette Five - Blind Faith
by jellybean49
Summary: Jack and Elizabeth discover that sometimes what you feel is more important than what you see.
1. Chapter 1

**Dear Readers, this is my 5th story of Jack and Elizabeth. As always, you don't have to have read the prior stories to enjoy this one, but I think it makes it more enjoyable. If you haven't read the first four, they are: Vignette 1, Vignette 2 (The Cold Winter), Vignette 3 (The Test - Don't Fail Me Now), and Vignette 4 (Gypsy Woes).**

Vignette Five – Blind Faith

Chapter 1

Elizabeth marked another possible weekend off her calendar. Between Jack's work, the school season, her parent's planned month long trip to England, and national holidays, the wedding was getting further and further away.

"How about the first weekend in October?", Elizabeth asked Jack, who was sitting next to her at the table.

Jack glanced at the calendar over her shoulder.

"It won't work. It's Yom Kippur"

"We're not Jewish!"

Jack laughed, "I know that, but Aaron and Doris are, and I want them at the wedding."

"Your friends, Aaron and Doris, are Jewish?"

"They're not deeply observant, but they won't be able to go to a wedding on Yom Kippur, and I would like them to be there. I have a much smaller guest list than you, just a few close friends and family."

Elizabeth knew that Jack was right; his guest list was less than a dozen, while Elizabeth's was easily ten times that many. Her father had insisted that his business associates be invited, and her mother had insisted that all friends and society club women be invited.

"Tell me more. I want to know more about all your friends", Elizabeth said to Jack. With the two of them living so far from friends and family, they hadn't met many people from each other's lives before Hope Valley. _Well, unless you count Rosemary and Charles, and I think we'd both just as soon not discuss them right now,_ Elizabeth thought to herself.

"Well, you already know Paul and Sabrina."

"Is Doris like Sabrina?"

"In some ways. They're good friends, especially with Paul and Aaron both being assigned out of same office. They're both strong independent women, but Sabrina's more firm, and Doris is just really sweet; not a mean bone in her.

Refilling his cup of tea, Jack told Elizabeth about a day he and Aaron had stopped by Doris' family store when Aaron was courting her. A man and woman with a small child approached the counter to buy just a single can of soup. It was easy to see that the family was down on their luck. While the father counted out the meager change, Doris gave the child a cookie, and put another can of soup on the counter. She informed the man that the soup was half price that day because it was excess inventory they were trying to get rid of. Aaron and Jack knew for a fact that the soup wasn't excess inventory; they had seen Doris unpacking it minutes earlier.

Another time, Jack had seen Doris take a handful of apples from a bin and offer them to a mother with three children, telling her that the apples wouldn't sell because they were bruised, and perhaps the children could take them off her hands. Jack was pretty sure that there wasn't a bruise on a single apple; he was also pretty sure that the children hadn't had a good meal to eat in days.

"That's just the kind of person she is", Jack remarked, setting down his tea, and opening the newspaper.

"She sounds very nice, but she can't be good for business if she just gives stuff away", Elizabeth remarked.

Jack chuckled. "You sound like a Thatcher. Actually, she was wonderful for business. Men would go in that store every day to buy something they didn't need just to look at her and maybe get a chance to ask her to dinner."

"Is she that pretty?" Elizabeth asked skeptically.

"Yes, she is", Jack remarked.

"As pretty as Sabrina?"

"Actually, prettier. Doris is taller than Sabrina, and dark haired, and well, she's striking. She's probably the most striking woman I've ever seen. Really, really beautiful.

 _Hmm, that wasn't_ _really what I wanted to hear,_ thought Elizabeth

"What about Aaron? He must be terribly handsome to marry someone as beautiful as that."

Jack laughed. "If you find short men with receding hairlines and ruddy complexions, handsome, then yes, he's handsome."

"Well how did he get someone as beautiful as Doris?"

"He's a really nice guy, . . . and according to him, love is blind. I might actually have a chance to visit them next week when I'm near Ottawa."

"Well, I'm looking forward to meeting them at the wedding. . . . if we ever pick a date."

"Assuming that your father ever approves of me."

"Jack, he will, you'll see."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"He just has to see you for the wonderful man you are. Even if he doesn't, I'm still marrying you. Nothing is going to get in the way", Elizabeth said emphatically.

"Well, in that case, let's pick a date", Jack said as he looked at the calendar again.

"How about that second Wednesday?", he suggested.

"Jack, it's a Wednesday. People don't get married on Wednesdays."

"I'm sure a lot of people get married on Wednesdays. I don't see why not. It's a perfectly good day. It comes around once a week, roughly 52 times a year."

Elizabeth looked skeptical at the idea of a Wednesday wedding.

"Besides, I met you on a Wednesday. Best Wednesday of my life, " Jack said casually.

"We met on a Wednesday?", Elizabeth asked in surprise.

"Uh huh", Jack responded as he went back to looking at the newspaper.

A few minutes later, Elizabeth excused herself to get another pen from upstairs. Reaching into her nightstand, she pulled out her journal and flipped to the pages from her early days in town. Elizabeth sat on the edge of her bed, reading her entry about her first few days of teaching, and of meeting Jack. She looked to the date and day of the week at the top of the page. _My goodness, it was a Wednesday._ She smiled at the thought that Jack had remembered that.

"Did you find a pen?", Jack asked innocently when Elizabeth came downstairs.

"I did"

"So was I right?"

"About what?"

"Was it a Wednesday?", Jack asked without looking up from the newspaper.

 _Good grief. It's a good thing I'm marrying this man. He knows me better than anyone._ Elizabeth thought with a start.

"Yes, you were right. You, romantic you."

"It has nothing to do with romance. I'm a Mountie. It's my job to –"

"notice details. Yes I know." Elizabeth said cutting him off and finishing his sentence for him.

Moving aside his newspaper, Elizabeth sat herself on Jack's lap. She ran her hands through his hair, looking at his handsome face, as he grinned at her. "I had a feeling you were looking at your journal", he said with a chuckle.

"Constable Thornton, you have earned a kiss for being so observant, both now and on the day we met", she informed him, as she lowered her mouth to his.

"That should be two kisses", he murmured.

"I'll give you three if you stop talking", she murmured back, as she touched his lips with hers.

Jack moved his hands to the small of her waist and pulled her closer, deepening their touch. His tongue moved against hers as her heart started to beat faster. She made a soft gasp as he ran his fingers along her knee and then slowly opened the palm of his hand as he moved it upward pressing it along her thigh. She could feel his warmth, in his mouth, in her own mouth, in his hand through the fabric of her skirt. He leaned his head back as she moved her lips to his neck. She breathed in the scent of his aftershave, running her tongue along his the skin of his neck while his hand softly moved against her thigh, separated only by her thin dress. Missing the feel of her mouth on his, he moved his head and captured her lips with his.

When he finally pulled away, Elizabeth whispered provocatively, "that was only two", and reclaimed his mouth with hers.

"I think we need to pick a wedding date . . . really soon", Jack moaned when Elizabeth finished with the third kiss.

* * *

The next day, Jack came from the livery stable carrying a small bundle of fur. As Jack pulled its claws out of his jacket and attempted to hand it to Elizabeth, he explained that his horse had almost stepped on it. Jack himself had almost stepped on it several times; it was so small and dark that it had been hard to see it in the dimness of the livery. The small creature had insisted on following Jack throughout the stable, so he finally just picked it up.

Elizabeth immediately fell in love with the kitten, which was desperately trying to cling to Jack.

"It's adorable. What should we name it?", she asked.

Jack held up the kitten by the scruff of her neck, and looked it over.

"Well, she's coal black except for the white streak on her. Reminds me of a comet. . . . Not your drawing of a comet, which looked like a squid, but my drawing", he clarified with a smile.

"Let's call her Halley" he said as he handed the kitten to Elizabeth. "After the comet we saw."

"No, not Halley. . . . We'll save that for one of our daughters. We'll name this little kitty 'Comet'".

"What makes you think we're having more than one child and that we'll have some daughters?" Jack asked with a laugh.

"No reason. . . . except we have a 50 percent chance of a girl", Elizabeth said evasively. _There is no way I am telling him about the gypsy's fortune telling until after we're married. He'll either be scared off by the idea of having six children, or he'll think I'm a nut case for believing her._

"Why don't we name the cat 'Halley' and our future daughter 'Comet'"? Jack suggested with straight face.

"Jack Thornton! We are not naming our daughter Comet!" Elizabeth said as she swatted him with her hand, making him chuckle.

Before leaving town for a week, Jack made a small collar for the kitten, which Abigail had banished from the Café. The kitten soon felt perfectly at ease wandering among the children's legs at the schoolhouse, with "Comet Thatcher Thornton" written on the thin strip of leather Jack had fashioned.

* * *

Jack had been gone for a week when the telegram arrived. As Mr. Yost handed it to Elizabeth, he paused uncomfortably as if he wanted to say more.

 _Not again. Mr. Yost's going to criticize Jack for sending an expensive telegram instead of sending a letter_ , Elizabeth thought.

"I know, Mr. Yost. A stamp is much cheaper. I'll be sure to mention it to the Constable when I see him next", Elizabeth said dismissively as she took the envelope. She thought it was sweet that Jack always sent her a telegram to let her know when he expected to be back in town after being going for more than few days.

 _Usually Mr. Yost doesn't deliver telegrams in person,_ she thought vaguely _. In fact, the only time he delivers a telegram in person is when I'm nagging him or it's urgent. He must be bored at the store today._

Elizabeth, unaware of the look which Mr. Yost gave Abigail, sat down comfortably on the couch to read the telegram. Whatever was in Mr. Yost's look caused Abigail to stay in the room rather than check on the food cooking in the kitchen, where she had been going.

Pausing to take a sip of tea, Elizabeth casually opened the envelope and pulled out the telegram. Her eyes skimmed the paper, not understanding it at first. She stopped and read it again, before looking wide-eyed at Abigail and letting the sheet of paper fall to the floor.

Abigail quickly picked up the telegram and read it.

 **JACK INJURED. PATIENT AT OTTAWA HOSPITAL. HE DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW. I THINK YOU SHOULD COME AT ONCE. SABRINA**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Journey

Chapter 2 - The Journey

Twenty hours later, Elizabeth was exhausted but too nervous to sleep. After receiving the telegram, she had hurriedly packed a bag, booked stagecoach and train tickets to Ottawa, sent word to Sabrina about when she would be arriving, and left instructions with town mothers about school lessons. Sabrina and her husband, Paul, were two of Jack's closest friends. If Sabrina thought Elizabeth should be in Ottawa, Elizabeth was going to Ottawa.

The early morning stage coach ride to the nearest train station had been dusty and rough; the coach wheels seemed to have hit every ditch and bump in the road. It wasn't until the coach was an hour out of Hope Valley that Elizabeth had noticed that something in her lunch basket was moving by itself. Pushing aside the napkin on top, she gently pulled out the soft stowaway bundle, which gave her a loud mew. Elizabeth gently brought Comet's soft body to her face and gave her a kiss, taking comfort in having a friend with her, even if she was only a kitten.

Now as Elizabeth sat on the train, waiting for it to leave the station, she tried to relax and think positively. Sabrina hadn't told her how Jack had been injured, or even what his injuries were, but if he was able to tell Sabrina that he didn't want Elizabeth to know about the situation, it meant he was awake and coherent.

Stroking the purring kitten on her lap, Elizabeth tried to remember what she knew about Ottawa. She had been there plenty of times before, but never by herself. Whenever she and her mother had gone on shopping trips while her father had business there, they had always shared a suite at the best hotel, with her parents making all the arrangements. She realized that she didn't even know where the hospital was, or even how close it was to the train station or to one of the better hotels. She was nervous about being in a big city by herself, and would feel safer staying at the expensive establishment her family usually used, even if it were farther from the hospital.

Elizabeth had thought about sending a telegram to her parents, telling them that she was going to Ottawa, but decided against it. She could have used some emotional support, but her father would have used the situation against her. She imagined that he would have been quick to remind Elizabeth about the dangers of Mountie life. The last thing she needed was her family voicing displeasure about her engagement to Jack.

She had finally managed to fall asleep from the lull of the train's movement, when the whistle announcing their arrival at Ottawa woke her up with a start. After traveling for hours, she felt dusty, tired, and disheveled. In the train station ladies room, Elizabeth splashed cool water on her face and fixed her hair. Holding her handkerchief under the cool faucet water before running it along her neck, she paused and stared at the monogram, T.O., _The One_. Jack had given her the handkerchief as a surprise the night before he left. He had chuckled while she had run her fingers along the monogram trying to decipher the meaning behind the initials, and he had smiled broadly when it took her only a minute to remember his words to her all those months earlier. She was the one for him. . . the only one, just like he was the only one for her.

She would have loved to have had a bath before Jack saw her, but she was anxious to get to the hospital. Grabbing her suitcase and basket, she went made her way through the bustling station to find a taxi.

As she rode through the city streets, Elizabeth's eyes started to fill with tears as she imagined the worst. _Maybe Jack's fallen off his horse and broken a leg or arm. That wouldn't be so bad,_ she thought _. Although why would Sabrina have made it sound so urgent? Maybe, he was stabbed.. . . Maybe he was shot. . . Maybe he fell off his horse because he was stabbed and shot!,_ she thought hysterically.Thankfully, it was a short ride to the hospital and she didn't have time to completely fall apart. When the taxi stopped at the front entrance to the hospital, she took a deep breath, and wiped away her tears.

Carrying her suitcase and basket into the entrance, Elizabeth made her way to the information desk, where the elderly clerk sent her upstairs. The third floor hallway smelled of disinfectant, and looked modern and clean. While Elizabeth anxiously waited for the desk nurse to finish dealing with a patient, she thought about how different this was from the simple doctor's office in Hope Valley, and she felt somewhat reassured that Jack must be getting the best possible care.

Finally the nurse gave her attention to Elizabeth. "He was discharged yesterday evening", the nurse said looking up from her paperwork.

"Discharged? Oh, thank goodness. That means that he's alright", Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief.

"I don't know miss, I just came on duty today. That's his doctor walking down hallway now."

As she approached the doctor, a greying older man with glasses, Elizabeth thought he looked like a friendly grandfather; for some reason that made her feel better. The doctor looked at her with sympathy when she introduced herself as Jack's fiancée.

"Everything is still blurry to him. There's not much more we can do at this point and he doesn't need to be hospitalized", he explained.

"You mean he's confused as to what happened?"

"No, I mean everything is still blurry I'm afraid."

"I don't understand. What do you mean blurry?", Elizabeth asked in a puzzled voice.

"Miss, didn't anyone tell you? . . . Your fiancé is blind."


	3. Chapter 3 - Together Again

Chapter 3 – Together Again

"We're here, Miss", the driver said to Elizabeth for the second time as the taxi idled in front of the modest house with white shutters and flowers overflowing from the window boxes. Deep in her thoughts, it took Elizabeth a minute to realize they had arrived at their destination. During the drive from the hospital, she had sat stunned, going over in her mind what the doctor had told her. Jack could make out light and dark and see some large blurred shapes, but that was all. A doctor would make house calls for a few days to check on his progress. Only time would tell if Jack would regain his vision.

As she stepped out of the taxi, Elizabeth looked at the address which the nurse had written down and then glanced at the house number next to the front door. It was time for her to see for herself how Jack was doing.

Sabrina answered Elizabeth's knock on the door with Jacklyn, Jack's adorable namesake, on her hip. She quickly put the two year old girl on the floor and enveloped Elizabeth in a hug.

"Elizabeth! I'm so glad you came!"

Elizabeth wanted to immediately see Jack, but Sabrina suggested they talk first. Sabrina explained that Jack had been helping clear an area and was cutting through some tall plants when he had gotten some sap from the plants in his eyes. The doctors thought it may have been a type of poisonous milkweed. Jack, stumbling to a nearby creek to wash his eyes from the burning pain, had tripped and fallen on some rocks, getting bruised and spraining his ankle. The other men had gotten him on his horse and taken him to a nearby town for treatment, but the doctor there had sent him to Ottawa.

Sabrina explained that the pain was mostly gone, but Jack's eyes were still swollen and terribly red, and he hadn't regained his vision. The doctors, and now Sabrina, had been changing his bandages and applying ointment several times a day. Although the doctors hoped that his vision would return, they couldn't guarantee that there hadn't been permanent damage.

"He's staying in our side room"

"But why didn't he want me to know? I would have been here earlier!", Elizabeth exclaimed.

"He's worried that he won't get his eyesight back. He made Paul promise that he wouldn't contact you. He may be upset when he finds out that I sent you a telegram, but I didn't make him any promises."

"Can I see him now?"

Before Sabrina could answer, Elizabeth jumped when she heard a loud crash.

"Don't worry. That's just him throwing something. Sounds like he threw the metal pitcher and it hit the wall. Yesterday, he broke a glass. He's frustrated."

When Sabrina excused her to go to the kitchen, Elizabeth knocked on the door before opening it cautiously.

"Jack", she said hesitantly when she saw him sitting up in bed, a bandage wrapped around his eyes. Elizabeth noticed a metal pitcher lying sideways on the floor across the room, where it had landed after splashing its last drops of water against the wall.

"Elizabeth? Is that you? What are you doing here?"

"Where else would I be?", she said as she hurried across the room to him and leaned over his bed, reaching her arms around him.

Jack remained still for a moment. Slowly he put his arms on her, but he was reserved. When she kissed him, he moved his head to the side.

"You shouldn't have come. I didn't want anyone to tell you", he said, gently pushing her away.

"Jack –"

"I'm tired, Elizabeth. I need to rest", he said cutting her off.

"Jack, I was so worried about you. I just came all the way from Hope Valley", she pleaded.

"You should go. We'll talk later", he responded, his voice sounding sad.

Elizabeth started to protest just as Sabrina came in with a tray of tea and light sandwiches.

"Elizabeth, you must be famished after your long trip. You and Jack should eat. "

"Jack, I've made you your cinnamon tea. The sandwiches are turkey. There's a napkin on your tray."

Sabrina's voice was friendly and upbeat; there was not a shred of sympathy in it. Elizabeth stared at her in disbelief; Sabrina acted as if it was an ordinary day and she was serving guests at a luncheon _! I forgot how strong she is,_ Elizabeth thought incredulously.

"I'm too tired to eat, " Jack protested.

"You can rest after you eat. I need you getting your energy back. You've been lying in a bed for days," Sabrina said as she deposited the tray on Jack's lap. She picked up the metal pitcher from the floor, and left, closing the door behind her to give them privacy.

Jack and Elizabeth ate mostly in silence. Every time she asked him a question, Jack gave a curt answer, volunteering nothing. He refused to talk about his accident, other than to say he had been a clumsy idiot.

When Elizabeth affectionately put her hand on his cheek, Jack turned away abruptly, spilling his tea.

Elizabeth excused herself to get something to clean up the mess. As she explained to Sabrina what had happened with the tea, Elizabeth wiped away a tear.

"Don't go there. Cry all you want when you're alone in bed tonight, but not now. Once it starts, it's too hard to stop," Sabrina said as Elizabeth followed her to the linen closet to get a fresh set of sheets.

After allowing his sheets to be changed, Jack told Elizabeth that he needed to rest, and that she should make arrangements for her return trip to Hope Valley.

"Did you have any trouble getting here?", he asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"No, it was fine."

"Send word when you arrive back at Hope Valley. I don't like you traveling alone", he responded.

"Jack -", Elizabeth started to plead, but Jack lay down and turned onto his side, facing away from Elizabeth.

Giving a hopeless sigh, Elizabeth left the room. She found Sabrina in the kitchen and realized with a start that Sabrina was holding a baby .

"Oh, Sabrina, I forgot to even ask about the new baby!"

"He's wonderful ", Sabrina said with a smile, as she rubbed the baby's back.

Elizabeth looked around, taking in the situation. Comet was running under the kitchen table chasing a string which Jacklyn was happily pulling while she haphazardly pushed chairs out of the way. Sabrina was handling a newborn while attempting to clean up the lunch dishes. The tea-stained sheets needed to be washed. Dinner needed to be made for when Paul came home. And Jack was blind in the side room. Pushing up her sleeves, Elizabeth went to work.

Jack got out of bed and tried to maneuver around his room but it was hopeless. With his bandaged eyes, he couldn't even distinguish between light and dark. He listened to the sounds outside his window, and later the sounds outside his door. He heard Paul come home from work, the baby crying, and the sounds of Paul walking by his door soothing the baby. Later, he heard squeals of delight from Jacklyn and could surmise that Paul was tossing her into the air and catching her. That was the future he had imagined that he and Elizabeth would have; babies, and toddlers laughing, and the happy calls for "Daddy".

It had been five days since the accident. Five days of seeing nothing but shadows of shapes. When the doctor told him that it might very well be permanent, Jack knew he had to give up a life with Elizabeth. He loved her too much to take away her chances of a future with a man who could support and protect her. It would be hard for her at first, but eventually she would move on and find someone else, someone who wasn't blind. He told himself that one day she would be grateful. _At least we're not married yet. If we were, she'd be stuck with me,_ he thought sadly. Part of him selfishly wished they were already married, but he pushed that thought away.

By the time Elizabeth checked into the hotel hours later, she was exhausted and confused by Jack's reaction to her. It hadn't escaped her that when she had peeked into his room and said "goodnight" to him, he had responded with "goodbye."

Staring at the dinner plate which she had ordered from room service, she thought about how he had sent her away from his room after lunch. She didn't believe he was too tired to see her, especially after she had traveled so far just to be with him.

For some reason, she thought back to a conversation she and Jack had before they even started courting, on the morning Abigail opened her café for the first time _._

 _Do you agree to forgive me for everything stupid I've ever said or done? . . . . No one said it was going to be easy . . ._

 _I can follow those instructions._

If today was any indication, Elizabeth realized it was very likely that she would be forgiving Jack a great deal in the near future.

When she had checked into the hotel, she had notified the front desk that she would be staying for quite some time. Despite Jack's request, she had absolutely no intention of going back to Hope Valley without him.

She was going to be a Thornton soon, but until then, she was still a Thatcher. And a Thatcher doesn't run from a challenge . . . especially when she's hopelessly in love with him.


	4. Chapter 4- Blinded by Love

Chapter 4 - Blinded by Love

The next day, Elizabeth overslept after having had a restless night, and then she had difficulty finding a cab. By the time, she got to the LaPointe's, it was already 11:00 am. She hoped Jack would be in a better mood today. Elizabeth was grateful that the LaPointes had opened their home to him. She knew that ever since Jack had saved Sabrina's life and helped deliver Jacklyn two years ago, there was an unbreakable bond between Paul, Sabrina, Jacklyn, and Jack.

Knocking on the front door, Elizabeth was surprised when it was opened by a boy of about three or four years old, who politely asked her if she wanted to come in. She quickly looked at the house number by the door just to confirm that she had the right place. As she entered the home, the little boy ran back to playing on the floor with Jacklyn and a girl, who looked about the age of two.

"Hello" Elizabeth said in a friendly voice.

"Hello", all three children replied, as they looked at her and then went back to playing with their wooden blocks.

"Jacklyn, is your mother here?", Elizabeth asked as she looked around.

When Jacklyn simply shook her little head and said "No", the boy spoke up.

"Mrs. LaPointe went to the market and my mama's in bed with Uncle Jack. "

 _Well, that doesn't sound good!,_ Elizabeth thought in surprise.

Walking across the living room, Elizabeth heard a woman's laughter coming from Jack's room. She paused in the doorway when she saw a woman sitting on Jack's bed, her back to the door. Jack was shirtless and chuckling about something the woman had said. Elizabeth could see a large bruise on Jack's shoulder. _That must be from falling on the rocks_ , Elizabeth realized.

"Now you look much better for your fiancée'", the woman exclaimed happily as she handed Jack a fresh shirt and helped him put it on, easing in his arms, and then buttoning it for him.

"I told you, she won't be my fiancée for much longer", Jack said as his smile was replaced by frown.

"Hello", Elizabeth said tentatively.

When the woman turned around, Elizabeth saw her huge eyes ringed by long lashes. Her pale alabaster complexion revealed perfect skin and exquisite features. Her nose, her cheeks, her lips, . . . everything about her seemed perfect. Elizabeth knew immediately that this must be Doris. For a fleeting moment Elizabeth was glad Jack's eyes were bandaged. _My goodness, can you imagine if he saw someone that gorgeous sitting on his bed when he's half-naked?!_ She frowned when she remembered that Jack had an excellent memory and could simply picture Doris in his mind based on his past attention to detail.

"Hello, I'm guessing that you're Elizabeth. I'm Doris. We were just getting Jack freshened up," the woman said pleasantly as she got up from the bed. When she stood up, Elizabeth realized that even the woman's figure was perfect.

"I'll go check on the children", Doris explained as she gathered Jack's laundry, a bowl of water, the wet sponge, and the damp towel.

When Elizabeth came out of Jack's room a few minutes later, she saw that Sabrina had returned from the market. Elizabeth explained to the two women that Jack wanted to rest. Elizabeth was embarrassed; it was obvious that Jack didn't need to rest; he just didn't want her around. Other than to urge her to go back to Hope Valley or to visit her family in Hamilton, he had given her the silent treatment. _If he's encouraging me to visit my family, he must really want me gone,_ she thought ruefully.

Elizabeth noticed a look pass between Doris and Sabrina.

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"What are you going to do about him?" Sabrina asked.

"What do you mean?" a puzzled Elizabeth responded.

Elizabeth noticed another look pass between Sabrina and Doris. This time, Doris spoke up. "He's trying to protect you, Elizabeth. Do you love him enough to not let him?"

"Protect me from what?", Elizabeth asked in confusion.

"From being saddled with a blind man", Sabrina said matter-of-factly.

"Bri -, not so harsh", Doris tenderly reprimanded Sabrina.

"I'm telling her like it is, Doris."

Doris gently explained that Jack probably felt like his life was spiraling downward, and he didn't want to drag Elizabeth down with him. He may never regain his full sight. He was giving her the chance to get out while she still could, before they were committed in marriage.

"That's the stupidest thing I've heard." Elizabeth remarked. "We're supposed to handle every challenge together."

"Well of course it's stupid. But it's a man thing. Men can be stupid, especially when they're in love and trying to be strong. When Paul got shot two months before we were to be married, he tried to break off our engagement. He told me that he didn't want me to ruin my life by marrying him and ending up a Mountie's young widow one day", Sabrina said.

"What did you do?", Elizabeth questioned.

"I told him that if he didn't marry me, I was going to marry the first eligible Mountie I saw just to spite him. . . . And let me tell you, there were a lot of eligible Mounties around."

Elizabeth looked at Sabrina in shock. "You wouldn't have, would you?"

"Of course not. I love Paul too much to even think about another man. I could never marry someone else", Sabrina said dismissively. "But I think he was actually worried I would do it just to spite him. He ended up moving up our wedding date and marrying me the next week", she said with a laugh.

"Well, I don't think that will work in my situation. Jack would never believe I'd marry another Mountie. If I threatened to marry someone else, he'd probably tell me that I'd be better off now that he's injured." Elizabeth said with a sigh.

"Yes, you're probably right." Sabrina agreed.

"What about you, Doris? Has your husband, Aaron, done anything like that to you?", Elizabeth asked.

"Not as bad, but yes, he's tried to do what he thought was best for me. His first assignment after we got married was to a desolate outpost. When he got the orders, he told me that I'd be more comfortable and safer staying with my family for the six months. "

"What did you do?"

"I started crying", Doris admitted with a shrug.

Elizabeth tried to stifle a giggle as she saw the disgusted look Sabrina made at Doris' confession.

"I couldn't help it! I cry easily!", Doris said defensively.

"What did Aaron do?"

"He felt so bad that I was crying, that he immediately apologized. He told me to forget he had ever suggested being separated. He said I was going with him and we would never discuss it again."

Sabrina let out a sigh. "Maybe we're not the best people to give you advice, Elizabeth."

After a moment's pause, Elizabeth asked curiously, "how was the desolate outpost?"

"It wasn't too bad. We had a lot of time to spend together; that part was nice. By the time the six month assignment was over, I was pregnant", Doris said with a smile.

* * *

Elizabeth spent the rest of the afternoon helping with laundry, cleaning, and watching the baby. Feeling the need to get out of the house after hours of dealing with Jack's sad silence, she took Jacklyn with her when she went to send a telegram to Abigail. She intentionally kept the telegram vague; Jack was going to be fine, it was nothing life-threatening, and they would be home as soon as he could travel.

Not only was Jack ignoring Elizabeth, but even his namesake wasn't interested in her. _What is it with these Jacks?!,_ Elizabeth thought, feeling slightly dejectedly. Although Jacklyn remembered Elizabeth from her visit to Hope Valley, the little girl didn't seem too concerned or enamored by her. Instead she kept asking where Abigail was with cookies. Finally, Elizabeth stopped at a fancy bakery on Sparks Street and bought a bag of overly priced cookies for Jacklyn and the other children. When she handed the bag to Jacklyn to carry, Elizabeth was rewarded with a big smile. _I should have been a baker rather than a school teacher,_ she thought discouragingly. _At least one of the Jacks now appreciates me. One down, one to go,_ she thought with a sigh _._

Returning back to the house, Elizabeth encountered the visiting doctor who was just finishing examining Jack. After the doctor left, Doris showed Elizabeth how to use the ointment and bandage Jack's eyes. Elizabeth walked away when Jack made it obvious that he wasn't going to be friendly to her.

* * *

Elizabeth was in the kitchen stirring the stew for dinner when she heard Jacklyn talking to Jack in the other room. Quietly walking to the doorway, she watched as the little girl climbed onto the couch next to Jack.

"Little Piggy, Little Piggy", Jacklyn implored.

"Jacklyn, I can't do the Little Piggy story. I can't see your feet," Jack explained patiently.

"Pleeeeassse", she pleaded as she took Jack's hand and placed it on her tiny bare foot.

"Okay, Little Jack. One time", Jack relented.

When Jack got to smallest toe and the part of the story of the littlest piggy, Jacklyn's squeals of laughter filled the room as he tickled her tiny foot. Her laughter was so infectious that Jack couldn't help but chuckle.

"Again! Again!", Jacklyn happily begged through her giggles.

Elizabeth smiled as she watched Jack recite the nursery rhyme again and again. After each time, Jacklyn gleefully begged "Again!", and each time, Jack complied until Sabrina finally rescued him by telling the little girl that it was time to wash up for dinner. This was the future Elizabeth had imagined that she and Jack would have; Jack holding one of their children, maybe a little girl named Halley, laughing happily.

Elizabeth knew she may have to give up some of her dreams with Jack, but she would not give up this one. She would not give up the dream of a family with him. She knew that if he didn't regain his sight, it would be hard at first, but eventually it would get easier. She loved him too much to let him go.

As she stared at his handsome face, she realized that he had no idea that she was watching him. In the past, she had often found herself staring at him when he filled out Mountie paperwork or worked on his sketches. She had gotten lost looking at his face and thinking about how lucky she was to have him. Usually, he sensed her eyes on him, or that she hadn't turned a page in her book for a while. He would look up at her and give her a quizzical look until he realized she was just admiring him. Then his face would break out in a grin and his dimples would show, causing her to blush and him to chuckle. Tonight, he had no idea she was across the room staring at him.

* * *

Later that evening, Elizabeth tried her best to ignore Jack's hostility and silent treatment as she spent time with him. He was even ruder to her today than he had been yesterday.

When she offered to try to shave his face, he told her that she wasn't needed and that Sabrina and Doris could take care of him just fine. Besides, he had to learn to do things by himself, he informed her. Once again, he told her that her students were waiting for her in Hope Valley and she would be of more use there.

She threw up her hands in disgust _._ "I'm not going back to Hope Valley without you!", she said in exasperation, and stormed into the other room to calm down.

That night, Elizabeth tried to start another conversation. "I've been working on the wedding plans. Things are coming along nicely," Elizabeth said in a false upbeat voice as she sat with him.

"You need to cancel the wedding", Jack said curtly.

"What?!"

"Elizabeth, look at me! I'm blind. I can't be your husband!"

"You stop right there! How dare you even consider breaking our engagement. Is that all I am to you . . . a pretty face?! Are you telling me that because you can't see me, you don't want to marry me?"

"Elizabeth, that's not what I'm saying!"

"Well it certainly sounds that way to me. That's what our love was based on?! How good I look to you? Don't you even care about my mind?! "

Somehow Elizabeth had managed to twist this conversation around to make her look like the victim. Jack wasn't sure how she had managed that, but suddenly he found himself defending himself.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, knew perfectly well what she was doing; she was fighting back. She would not allow Jack to pity himself, and she didn't need protecting. _Mounties aren't the only brave ones!,_ she thought defiantly.

"I may never get my sight back. I can't be a Mountie! I won't have a job. I won't be able to support you. What can I do?!", Jack shouted.

"First of all, you don't have to support me! If you remember, I have a job and a trust fund!", she yelled back at him.

When she saw his scowl, she realized it probably hadn't been a good idea to mention the trust fund. _Remember for next argument, never mention family money,_ she told herself _._

Quickly changing her tone, Elizabeth continued, "Jack, you don't know whether your vision is permanent or not. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Elizabeth, it hasn't gotten any better!"

"If I were blind and couldn't be a school teacher, would you leave me? No, you wouldn't. So, don't you even think of breaking my heart and leaving me now," she said firmly.

"Now, I'm going to back to the hotel. I've had a long day. I'll get you some warm milk to help you sleep before I go."

As she exited the room, Jack shook his head in disbelief when he heard her mutter, "Now suddenly, I'm no longer good enough for him!"

Standing by the stove and pouring the warm milk into a mug, Elizabeth remembered Sabrina's words; she could cry when she was in bed tonight, but not yet.

Elizabeth put on a brave face, and carried the drink to Jack's room.

"I won't ask you to walk me out because I know your ankle still hurts."

Jack shook his head in frustration. _I'm the one that's blind, but she's the one that can't see it has to be over between us._

He knew that if she were the blind one, he would never leave her. _But this is different!,_ he told himself. _I'm the one who is supposed to support us and protect her. It's my job and I can't do it if I'm blind,_ he thought sadly.

* * *

That night, Elizabeth lay in bed, remembering something Jack had once said to her in a simple broom closet; that he would never end things with her. She realized that he couldn't end things, he loved her too much. But he was going to be as rude and obstinate as possible to try and get _her_ to leave _him._ _Well, I'm not leaving him, so he might as well give up trying!_

Elizabeth slept fitfully that night as she dreamed of dragging a kicking and screaming Jack down the wedding aisle.


	5. Chapter 5 - Blinded by Fear

Chapter 5 – Blinded by fear

Sitting in the hotel solarium, Elizabeth closed her eyes as the morning sun warmed her face and she listened to the gurgling of the water cascading down the stone fountain. She felt the presence of the attentive waiter, who knew enough not to bother a guest, as he stopped at her table and quietly re-filled her coffee cup. For five minutes, she relaxed and blocked out the sounds of the other finely dressed patrons as she thought about what she had to do today.

She hadn't meant to cry last night, but she had woken from a nightmare, alone in a hotel room far from family, and seemingly even farther away from Jack. Sitting up in the expensive hotel bed, she had turned on the light to chase away her sleepy visions of little piglets eating her wedding cake while a baker threw cookies at her and yelled "again, again".

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she had reached for her journal on the nightstand, and seen the other book. The book she had brought from Hope Valley, before she knew that Jack was blind, thinking that he might want to use it while he was laid up in a hospital bed.

Holding his sketchbook in the lonely hotel room, the tears had started. Sabrina had been right, once the tears started, it had been hard to stop them. Climbing out of bed, she had reached into the dresser drawer to retrieve her handkerchiefs. Seeing the initials T.O. on the one, W.D. on the other, his sweet nicknames for her, had only made her tears come down harder and faster.

Now, listening to the sounds coming from the water fountain, she thought of the rainstorm and the mine entrance where she and Jack had taken shelter. She defiantly put aside thoughts of her late night crying spell. _He told me that he liked me being head strong. Well, he's about to get a very large dose of that today._

Finishing her cup of coffee, she picked up her shawl, and looked around. The beauty of the solarium, with the gardens visible through the large glass windows, and the tables draped in white linens, each adorned with a small pot containing a delicate orchid, was not lost on Elizabeth. She looked at the calming room one last time, and braced herself for another harsh day.

* * *

When Elizabeth arrived at the LaPointe's home, now for the third day in a row, Paul let her in as he went out to get the morning paper. Passing through the living room, she took a quick glance at the bassinet, where the baby was starting to make a soft mewing sound. Elizabeth noticed that the door to Jack's room was still closed. She found Sabrina in the kitchen, preparing breakfast while Jacklyn sat on the large wooden kitchen table, happily stirring a bowl of eggs.

"Good morning. We'll have breakfast as soon as Paul gets back. Can you take over the eggs while I feed the baby?, Sabrina asked, smiling and handing Elizabeth an apron.

Fifteen minutes later, breakfast was ready. If Sabrina and Paul noticed Elizabeth's bloodshot and puffy eyes, they chose to politely pretend otherwise. Jack would never know that she had cried for more than an hour last night.

"I can't eat at the table," Jack protested as Paul led him into the dining room.

"You don't need your eyesight to eat my food," Sabrina said matter-of-factly, as she placed a basket of toast on the table and went back into the kitchen.

"And from what you've told me about Elizabeth's cooking, you may not want to see hers", Paul said with a laugh.

Elizabeth let out a sound of indignation and noticed a small smile form on Jack's lips at Paul's comment and at her sound.

"Does she have her hand on her hips in frustration?", Jack asked.

"Yes, just like you've described her before", laughed Paul some more.

"You don't need Paul to tell you how I look. You're my fiancé, you can come over here and feel for yourself", Elizabeth said haughtily.

"That sounds like an invitation, Jack. I'll be in the kitchen helping Sabrina," Paul said as he walked away.

"Well?!" Elizabeth demanded.

Jack hesitated for a moment before moving towards Elizabeth, holding on to the backs of the chairs as he walked slowly. He knew he should stay away from her, but he couldn't. Even as his mind told him to end things with her, his body wanted to be close to her. When he came to her, he reached out his hands until he found her shoulders. He slowly moved his hands down her arms, feeling the crook of her elbows as she stood with her palms firmly planted on her hips.

Taking a cue from Sabrina's firm treatment of Jack, Elizabeth indignantly asked, "You told them about my awful cooking?"

"I am standing here blind, and you are more concerned that I told them about your cooking", Jack said incredulously.

"Your eyesight will improve, but I'm not sure my cooking will", she responded with a shrug.

For a brief moment, Jack forgot he was giving up a life with Elizabeth, and he gave a small laugh at her comment. "It already has. You're much better than you used to be", he said with a chuckle.

Elizabeth moved even closer to him, her face just a breath away. He couldn't see her with his bandaged eyes, but he could feel her warmth, her breath. It would be so easy to kiss her, to hold her, to feel her warm mouth on his. Slowly he moved his lips towards her. Just before they touched, he stopped and turned away abruptly.

"Where do I sit?", he asked harshly.

"We're having scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast. Jack, your fork is to your right. You have a glass of orange juice directly above the fork. Your coffee mug is to the right of that." Sabrina said as she came into the room and led Jack to his seat.

"Uncle Jack's eyes don't work", Jacklyn explained to Elizabeth as they all moved around the table. Elizabeth wanted to stamp her foot like a petulant schoolgirl and order Jack to kiss her; she knew he wanted to. Instead, she simply agreed with Jacklyn and took her seat.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Sabrina insisted that Jack stay in the living room rather than retreat to the bedroom. She told him that she needed to clean his room as she plopped the baby into his lap. When Jack started to protest, Elizabeth quickly moved to take the baby, but Sabrina gave her a shake of her head.

"Elizabeth, take the baby. I can't," Jack ordered.

"Sorry, I'm helping Sabrina with cleaning", Elizabeth responded nonchalantly as she walked away. She stood silently in the doorway, invisible to Jack, watching him until the scowl on his face subsided and he began to gently rub the little boy's back.

Sabrina managed to find one reason after another to keep Jack in the living room; her hands were always too busy or full of laundry, dishes, or kids, to help him back to the solitude of his bedroom. Later, Doris visited and kept him occupied by sweetly insisting that Jack hold out his hands so she could use them to unravel some tangled skeins of yarn. After the unraveling, Doris had him hold the ends of the laundered sheets to help her fold them, and later, after Sabrina had fed the baby again, she had Jack hold him and pat his back to sooth his fussy stomach. _These two women are a force to be reckoned with,_ Elizabeth realized.

After the doctor visited, Elizabeth bandaged Jack's eyes again, and then offered to go to the pharmacy to get more supplies. As she had wrapped the bandage around his head, she had, for just a brief moment, leaned her head next to his. In that moment of closeness, Jack noticed it. The scent of her perfume. The one that she wore on the nape of her neck just for him. He didn't want the moment to end, this brief time of intimacy, and he was angry at himself for that. Angry at himself, angry at the doctor's lack of encouragement about any progress, angry at Elizabeth for being so stubborn, angry at life.

When she finished with the bandage, Jack brusquely told her that he could bandage his own eyes in the future.

As she walked towards the door, Jack called after her, warning her about purse snatchers in a big city and that she needed to be careful while running errands.

The concern was evident in his voice, and for a moment Elizabeth felt that the old Jack, the Jack from just over a week ago, was back. But then it was gone again. He tersely thanked Elizabeth for her help and apologized for being a bother.

* * *

When she returned from running her errands, Elizabeth discovered Sabrina had pushed chairs against the living room couch to keep its four sleeping occupants from rolling off. Jack took up most of the couch, as he lay on his back, breathing softly in his sleep, one hand resting on the back of the baby, who lay comfortably across his strong chest. His other arm was wrapped around Little Jack, who was snuggled up against his side, her thumb in her mouth while she napped. Not wanting to be left out, the sleeping kitten was lying across one of Jack's legs.

"He'll make a wonderful father one day", Sabrina whispered to Elizabeth as she came into the room.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, but cynically thought that it was appropriate that Jack was napping with all the other little ones. He was probably tired from acting so childish to her.

When Paul came home from work, he and Jack sat on the couch deep in conversation. Elizabeth, who could hear parts of their exchange from the kitchen, knew it was impolite to eavesdrop, but she didn't care.

"She loves you", Paul said.

"I know", Jack responded simply.

"You can't deny that you love her too."

"Of course I can't deny that! . . . . . . Sometimes I think I can't breathe without her in my life," Jack said desperately.

"Then let her stay", Paul suggested.

"I can't. I can't ruin her life." Jack's voice was filled with sorrow. Sorrow for what could have been but what he thought had been lost forever.

"You may still get your eyesight back", Paul offered hopefully.

"It's been seven days and there's still no change. I can't see anything."

"Then you know what you have to do," Paul replied after a moment's pause.

Elizabeth would have liked to have heard more, but Comet suddenly raced around the corner followed by Jacklyn, who giggled as Comet tried to climb up Elizabeth's skirt. After removing the kitten's claws from her skirt, and sighing at the small tear left by their sharpness, Elizabeth returned to the dishes in the sink. She told herself that whatever Jack said, she was not giving up on them.

At dinner, Jack asked Elizabeth if she had stopped at the train station and bought her train ticket back to Hope Valley while she had been running errands.

His angry reaction to her simple response of "no" did not surprise her. After three days, she had become used to taking the brunt of his frustration and sorrow.

"There's no reason for you to stay here! You should get back to your students before you lose your job!" he said bitterly.

Elizabeth ignored his comment and simply asked Sabrina to pass the rolls.

I _'m not going anywhere!,_ she thought. She remembered that she had said those same words to Jack when they stood on the hill the day he told she was the one for him, and she had said it again when they were in the mine entrance. _I should just make that my motto and tell it to him every day until he gets it through his thick Mountie head_ , she thought wryly.

"I found a nice bakery yesterday. The cakes looked delicious. It gave me some ideas for our wedding cake", she casually informed the others.

The slam of Jack's cup on the table caused splashes of liquid to fall onto the tablecloth.

"I AM BLIND, ELIZABETH", he said slowly and firmly between clenched teeth.

"In more ways than one", she responded in quiet accusation under her breath.

She knew Jack had heard her when she saw his hands grip the edge of the table in an effort to control his temper.

Paul gave a sad shake of his head at the situation, while Sabrina gave Elizabeth a sympathetic look.

The awkward silence was finally broken by Jacklyn, who hadn't missed Elizabeth's use of the word "bakery".

"Cookie?" she asked hopefully, glancing around at the four adults.

 _If only everything could be solved with a cookie_ , Elizabeth thought with a sad smile.

After a mostly silent dinner, Paul and Jack sat in the cool air of the back porch. When Elizabeth approached them, Paul jumped up from the wooden bench and excused himself to help Sabrina give the kids their baths.

Elizabeth slumped down in the seat next to Jack. She was too exhausted, physically and emotionally, to sit like a lady.

They sat quietly, listening to the crickets and the sounds of traffic floating down through the alley.

"Why are you still here?", Jack asked angrily

"Paul's not ready to take me back to the hotel", Elizabeth responded, knowing that wasn't an answer to his question.

"That's not what I meant!", he said, his voice getting louder.

Elizabeth remained silent, running her fingers over the fabric of her skirt, tracing the pattern of the thin stripes, trying to avoid having to think about the inescapable reality. But she had to think about it. How much longer would this, this stalemate, this opposition, go on? Eventually one of them would have to give in. One of them would have to realize it was a losing battle to fight the inevitable.

"You should leave me. . . for good", Jack stated.

"Probably. . . .. but not because you can't see, but because you've been so dreadful to me." she said blatantly.

"I'm blind, Elizabeth!", he practically shouted at her.

"Think of all the money we'll save if I don't have to buy pretty dresses to impress you", she said flippantly.

"Stop with the sarcasm!", he angrily demanded.

"Stop with the self-pity and selfishness!", she retorted in a fury.

"Selfishness?!", he yelled in stunned anger.

"Yes, selfishness. All you care about is how you feel. You haven't once asked me how I feel about all this!" Her voice was harsh and full of pent up anger and frustration at him.

"All I care about is you!", Jack exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well then start acting like it!" she responded bitterly.

The two sat on the bench like strangers. Their legs, his in dark slacks, hers covered by a pretty skirt, were just inches apart, and yet, it felt like there was a deep uncrossable canyon between them.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again, this time with less anger in his voice.

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Going to leave me?"

"Goodness no. Haven't we established that already?" Elizabeth said in a surprised tone.

He hesitated for a moment before asking quietly, "Why not?"

"I love you. I'm never leaving you. You are the only man in the world I ever want to touch me, the only man I ever want to be the father of my children. You're the only man I will ever want to call my husband. . . . . Sorry, but you're stuck with me."

Elizabeth said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She didn't romanticize her sentiments; she simply stated them as the facts that they were. Maybe that was what finally got through to Jack.

Jack kept silent about all the things he had earlier planned to say; that she could do so much better than him, that he wouldn't blame her if she left him; that she should get out while she could; that he wanted her to have a good life.

Everything he thought about saying seemed so meaningless when he heard her words. He willed himself to tell her that he was ending the engagement, but the words wouldn't come out; they just seemed to get stuck in his throat. He couldn't do it.

If Jack's eyes weren't bandaged, Elizabeth would have seen them fill with tears, despite the harshness of his words when he finally spoke.

"You're pig-headed", he said forcefully.

"Yes, but you knew that when you fell in love with me", Elizabeth said unapologetically.

Jack didn't respond. That was fine with her. She didn't feel like arguing so she sat there silently too, gently stroking Comet, who had climbed up Jack's leg and was now snuggled between them. After five minutes of silence, she realized she might as well go back to the hotel to try to get a good night's sleep.

"I'm going to ask Paul if he's ready to take me to my hotel. Good night, Jack", she said.

As she moved to stand up, Jack quickly reached out his hand and blindly grasped her arm. She paused, waiting for him to say something. When he spoke, his voice cracked with emotion.

"Don't go. Stay . . . please."

Elizabeth slowly sat back down next to Jack.

When he finally spoke again, he said only two more words, but they nearly broke Elizabeth's heart.

"I'm scared."

Before she took time to even breathe, Elizabeth moved and wrapped her arms around him, feeling his weight collapse into her. As Jack laid his head on her shoulder and finally allowed Elizabeth to comfort him, she whispered firmly in his ear. "I'm here with you. Always."

"I'm sorry. I love you", he said tearfully.

"I know. I love you too", she replied, closing her eyes to keep her tears from falling.

 _I love this man so much. Please, please, let him get his sight back,_ she thought desperately as she held him and gently stroked his back.

Later that night, they stood in the doorway waiting for Paul to finish putting the kids to bed before taking her to the hotel.

"Whatever we face, we face together", Elizabeth said, touching his face softly.

"Together", Jack agreed.

Thank you", he said, placing his hand on top of hers, gently running his fingers over it as he held it against his cheek.

"For what?".

"For being so frustratingly stubborn."

"You're worth it", she answered with a smile, which he could hear in her voice even if he couldn't see it.

"Am I?", he asked.

"Most definitely."

A small smile formed on Jack's lips in response to her comment.

"I'm sorry we fought."

"We didn't fight. You were just being stupid and I forgave you", Elizabeth said with a grin.

Jack chuckled.

"You were right to stay"

"I know", she pleasantly agreed.

"I'm glad you're here. I love you", he said softly as he moved even closer to Elizabeth.

When Paul came down the staircase, he saw Jack holding Elizabeth's face as he tenderly kissed her. He noticed Elizabeth's arms so tightly wrapped around Jack it looked as if she were never going to let him go. Paul turned and went back upstairs. He could wait another 10 minutes before taking Elizabeth to the hotel.

* * *

Later, when she was finally in her hotel room, Elizabeth knew that she needed to think about the next step. If Jack didn't regain his eyesight in the next few days, she would need to contact her father. Despite what she had said to Jack, Elizabeth wouldn't have access to her trust fund for a few years. Right now, her father was the only person she knew who was in a position to help Jack with the expenses of getting the best braille teacher, and eventually a job.

Whether William Thatcher would be willing to help remained to be seen. Elizabeth would have to think like a Thatcher and outsmart him. If she knew her father, and she thought she did, he would try to make this a business transaction: financial support for Jack if she broke off the engagement. _Good grief, I just finished fighting Jack for the right to marry him. Now, I may have to fight father_ , she thought as she got ready for bed.

As she pulled back the bed's feather-filled comforter and climbed between the sheets, she fully recognized that she had exaggerated earlier when she had told Jack that the wedding plans were coming along nicely. They weren't coming along nicely at all. She had narrowed down the wedding date to three possible dates, the meal to five possible entrees, the reception music to either a five piece band or a harpist, and the location to two possible places . . . Hope Valley or Hamilton.

 _How am I ever supposed to find the time to plan a wedding when I have to deal with men?!,_ she frustratingly thought as she turned off the light and tried to fall asleep before facing whatever tomorrow would bring. . . at least she and Jack would face it together.

What will tomorrow bring? . . . . to be continued.


	6. Chapter 6 - Beauty

Chapter 6 – Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

When Aaron came over two nights later to visit Jack, Elizabeth realized that Jack had been accurate when he had earlier described Doris's husband to her. He was shorter than the average man, with a receding hairline, and a ruddy complexion. It wasn't that he was unattractive, but when compared to his wife's beauty, the contrast in their looks made him seem even plainer.

Elizabeth couldn't have been more surprised when she learned that Doris had been the one to fall in love at first sight.

Five and a half years earlier, on a cold late October day, Doris had been working in her family store, and dodging the persistent invitations of male customers. When Aaron came in for the first time, the jingling of the bell over the door notified Doris that another patron had arrived. Out of habit, she had briefly looked towards the entrance at the newest customer. Noticing it was another unaccompanied man, she assumed he was there more to flirt than to actually shop, and she turned her attention back to her work.

Doris had been laboring at the store long enough to know that most men pretended to browse for a few minutes while checking out their competition for her attention. They would eventually choose an inexpensive item they didn't need or want, and ask her meaningless questions before purchasing it. Her parents didn't mind the men crowding the store as long as they were polite to Doris and eventually bought something.

Aaron had stood in the shop entrance and looked around just briefly before he proceeded directly to the mittens that were lined up on a table by the counter. Choosing a dark blue pair in ladies' size small, he politely moved past Doris's various suitors to the cash register.

It had been a busy day and as Doris rang up the sale, she realized gratefully that he was the first male customer that didn't look at her longingly or flirtatiously. He actually looked at her like she was a person, not just a pretty girl.

When she handed him his change, Doris noticed that he wasn't wearing a wedding ring. She didn't know why she had bothered to notice; it made no difference to her, she told herself.

As Aaron walked out with his purchase, Doris found herself walking away from the counter and heading to the large storefront window so she could see this man some more. He had never been in the store before, and she had never seen him anywhere else. Oblivious to the men still speaking to her, Doris watched as Aaron approached the elderly woman sitting on the bench across the street.

Doris couldn't remember the woman's name, but knew that she had become a widow in the spring. The woman and her husband used to sit on the bench together, but since April, the woman sat by herself.

People, bundled up against the brisk fall weather and busy with their day, had been hurriedly walking past the woman all afternoon, but none of them, until now, had seemed to even notice her or how chilly she looked.

Doris watched as Aaron knelt on the sidewalk which was covered with fallen leaves and gently helped the old woman put the mittens on her hands. He accepted a kiss on the forehead from the appreciative woman before he stood up and strode off, leaving his modest gift to warm her.

Watching the encounter, Doris's heart fluttered and she felt herself go weak in the knees for the first time ever.

It was ten days before she saw him walking by the store again. Hurrying outside, she stopped him on the sidewalk and asked if he would like to come inside and sample some new cookies they had just started to sell. Her father and brother looked at each other and shrugged when Aaron came in the store; there were no new cookies, just the usual brand.

Every day after that for a month, Aaron found an excuse to walk by the store, and Doris found an excuse to invite him in. Less than a year later, they were married.

When people saw their two children, they would often remark about how much they took after Doris. Both children had large eyes, long lashes, and good features. When they grew up, the girl would be a beauty and the boy would be quite handsome. But Doris was always surprised by the comparison. In her mind, the children took after their father; she could already tell at their young age that they would be gentle and goodhearted. Doris thought Aaron was the most attractive man in the world; he was certainly the only one she had ever been attracted to.

As for Aaron, he was in awe every morning when he looked at Doris in bed next to him. He knew she was beautiful; he had seen how plenty of men looked at her. But it wasn't the first thing he saw when he looked at her. Instead, he saw a gentle and compassionate lady who loved him, and whom he loved completely.

Having now met both of them, Elizabeth thought they were a perfect pair.

Her thoughts on them were interrupted by the sounds of a bang and a painful cry, followed by the patter of little feet across the wooden floor.

"Mama", wailed Jacklyn, as she came crying and running into Sabrina's arms for the third time that day.

Sabrina gently picked up the sobbing girl, kissed the red mark on her forehead, and glared at Jack who was sitting on the couch with Aaron.

"Jack Thornton, if you don't get your complete eyesight back soon, I'm going to kill you myself!", she said in frustration as she tenderly wiped away Jacklyn's tears.

Sabrina untied the bandana now hanging loosely around Jacklyn's cheeks and once again patiently explained to her daughter that she was not to cover up her eyes and pretend to be like Uncle Jack or she would keep getting hurt as she banged into walls. Elizabeth couldn't help but smile when she saw that the little girl's legs were already covered with bruises from her numerous attempts to wander around mimicking Jack.

Jack chuckled as he apologized to Sabrina. "I'm trying my best, Bri", he said before returning his attention back to Aaron.

Jack had just informed Aaron that he and Elizabeth hadn't settled on a wedding date yet. Elizabeth listened as Jack explained to his friend that he had as good a chance of William Thatcher accepting him as he did of seeing Halley's Comet streaking by again.

"Doesn't Halley's Comet only come once every 75 years?" Aaron asked with a wrinkled brow.

'My point exactly", Jack laughed.

Elizabeth smiled. Nothing could dampen their spirits today. When she had taken off Jack's bandages earlier that morning, she noticed that the swelling and redness in his eyes was almost entirely gone. He had said something that made her jump into his lap with happiness and hug him.

"You're wearing a blue skirt, a wide yellow sash, and a white blouse with a "v" neck, aren't you?" he had asked.

After initially being thrilled by Jack's question, Elizabeth frowned slightly. _Of all the days for me to dress in my simplest outfit!, I didn't even do my hair nicely!_

For the next ten minutes, Jack had walked around the house, examining things closely, trying to discern what they were. Jacklyn followed after him, thinking it was a game, and happily yelling "YES!" whenever Jack correctly identified something. Even Comet got into the action as she pawed at Jack's legs until Jack picked her up and put her on his shoulder.

Eventually, Elizabeth had put the bandages back on Jack's eyes to allow them to rest, but neither Elizabeth nor Jack could hide their happiness; things were getting better.

Now sitting in the living room, she was grateful that she hadn't sent a telegram to her father. Her father never needed to know how close she came to asking for his help.

Elizabeth's thoughts were again disrupted, this time by the opening of the front door.

"Hello, everyone", Paul called out to the others as he walked in.

"How was work?", Sabrina asked, crossing the room to greet her husband.

"Good. The men at the Force want to know how the Lioness has been holding up with handling both the new baby and an injured Jack at the same time", Paul said as he picked up Jacklyn and gave Sabrina a kiss on the cheek.

Elizabeth's ears perked up. "Lioness?"

"That's the Mounties nickname for me. It's actually Lionhearted", Sabrina said dismissively with raised eyebrows and shake of her head as she took Paul's hat and hung it on the coat rack by the door.

"So few Mounties are married that we wives are talked about. The single men tend to come up with monikers for us. It's their attempt at teasing our husbands for getting married, and . . . well, the names have stuck."

Elizabeth tried to hide her smile at Sabrina's moniker. She had no problem understanding how Sabrina got the name "Lionhearted".

"What's yours?", Elizabeth asked as she turned to Doris.

Doris turned pink in the face before shyly answering, "Beauty".

"I don't know why the men say that!", she added hurriedly.

"Even you have one, Elizabeth", Sabrina said as she retrieved a plate of cookies from kitchen and put them on the table for her guests.

Paul gave a slight shake of his head as he looked at his wife. Sabrina suddenly looked guilty at having said anything, and quickly changed the subject, asking if anyone wanted more tea, as she began to pour a warm cup for Paul.

 _Maybe they call me Teacher, or Miss Independent, or Smart and Dedicated. . . . Oh, I hope they don't call me Princess_ , Elizabeth thought.

"What's my moniker?" Elizabeth asked hesitantly when she noticed that Paul and Aaron were avoiding looking at her; both suddenly pretended to be very interested in their tea cups. Sabrina had hastily disappeared into the kitchen to get a plate of food for Paul, and Doris was attentively brushing her daughter's hair as the little girl lay on her lap.

Jack laughed when he noticed the quiet. "It's okay, you can tell her."

 _Oh, it's probably 'Princess'_ , Elizabeth thought discouragingly.

There was a pause before Aaron spoke up.

"Trouble. They call you 'Trouble'", he said apologetically.

"Trouble?! " Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Well, . . . it's been mentioned that it was because of you that Jack lost his assignment to Cape Fullerton, and that Jack later gave up his choice of assignments for a sleepy little town, and then . . . well, some of the men have mentioned that Jack's had to get you out of a few . . . predicaments", Paul said sheepishly

"Jack, did you know about this?!" Elizabeth asked, turning to Jack in astonishment.

Jack chuckled. "It'd be kind of hard not to. I've been teased nonstop since we started courting. It's okay, I've never run from trouble. . . . in fact, I love trouble", he said good-naturedly.

Elizabeth shook her head in frustration while the rest of the adults tried to stifle their laughter.

* * *

The next morning, Elizabeth and Jack took a taxi across the city to the ophthalmologist for a further evaluation. Sitting in the small waiting room, Elizabeth held tightly to Jack's hand, nervously hoping that the doctor would tell them that things would continue to improve. Every so often, Jack would give her hand a gentle squeeze of comfort.

When they were finally ushered into the examination room, Elizabeth stood in the corner, anxiously watching the doctor as he removed the bandages and washed Jack's eyes.

"The swelling and redness are almost gone. That's excellent. It can take a while for the poison to make its way through your system. I just want to make sure there's been no cornea scarring or retinal damage."

"It's called an ophthalmoscope", he said when he noticed Elizabeth curiously staring at the black cylindrical device in his hand. "It lets me know how healthy the eyes are."

Elizabeth held her breath as the doctor shined a light in Jack's eyes and observed his pupils.

"And . . . as far as I can tell . . . these look like they are their way to being nice and healthy", he said as stood back after examining Jack's eyes.

"Things are coming along very nicely. I want you to keep the bandages on for another day to ensure that you don't rub your eyes from any residual itching."

Letting out her breath, and without waiting for the doctor to do so, Elizabeth picked up the tube of ointment and strip of bandage and moved towards Jack.

The doctor nodded at her to go ahead.

"Are you a nurse?", he asked pleasantly as he watched Elizabeth confidently put the ointment in Jack's eyes and begin wrapping the bandage around his head.

"No, I'm a school teacher, but I'm also going to be a Mountie wife", she replied without hesitation.

"Yes, you certainly are", Jack said with a grin as he reached out his hands and found her waist.

Before they left the office, the doctor reminded Jack to take it easy for the next few days even after the bandages were off. His eyes were healing nicely, but Jack was to avoid any kind of strain, such as harsh light or reading.

The doctor warned Jack to avoid anything unpleasant.

* * *

Meanwhile, blocks away, at the city's finest hotel, the front desk clerk watched as the well-dressed guest removed an expensive fountain pen from his jacket breast pocket and signed the registry. After motioning for a bellhop to take the pieces of luggage to the appointed suite, the clerk informed the gentleman that his associates had arrived a few hours earlier and were expecting him for dinner. Handing him an extra room key, the clerk smiled broadly and wished the middle-aged man a pleasant stay in Ottawa.

Less than 48 hours later, a chance encounter, or perhaps it was fate, brought Jack and the guest together.

Jack found that sometimes unpleasant things are unavoidable, especially when he's involved with Trouble, and Beauty is in the mix.

The hotel guest learned that sometimes good wishes for a pleasant stay aren't enough, especially when a man's judgement is clouded by a beautiful woman.

Seen through Aaron's eyes, Doris was a kindhearted wife and mother, but not everyone sees things the same way.

As we've often been told, looks can be deceiving, and things aren't always as they first appear.


	7. Chapter 7- Looks Can Be Deceiving

Chapter 7 - Looks can be deceiving

Two days later, Jack's vision was back to perfect. The ophthalmologist concluded that Jack's initial quick action in flushing his eyes with the cold river water had helped tremendously, reducing the amount of poison. Days of rest and ointment to relieve the irritation had done the rest. Like skin inflamed by poison ivy, if left alone, it will eventually heal itself.

Elizabeth didn't bother knocking when she arrived at the LaPointe's residence early in the morning. She had been there so often that Sabrina, who treated Elizabeth like family, had told her just to make herself at home.

Elizabeth had barely closed the front door when Jack walked into the room. He paused when he spotted her and his face broke into a smile. She paused also, standing by the door. It still was like when they first started to court, the way his look could make her smile, or blush, or send a tingle through her body.

"Good morning", he said as he walked to her and took one of her hands in each of his, swinging their arms slightly back and forth together.

"I've been thinking about your adorable face since I woke up this morning", he told her.

"Good to know", she replied with a grin.

He didn't say anything, just stared at her and smiled, enjoying the view.

"Where is everyone?", she asked, not even bothering to look around the room.

"Out back, putting the clothes on the line. We've got a few minutes before they come back inside and Doris gets here", he replied, letting go of one of her hands to gently move a stray curl behind her ear.

"Should we go help them?", she asked but didn't make a move to separate.

"I think they've got it handled", he replied, taking his finger and moving it slowly along her neck.

He moved it so tenderly and lightly that Elizabeth thought that this is what it must feel like to be kissed by a butterfly.

"How are those wedding plans coming along? I want to hurry up and be your husband."

It was clear that Jack was thinking more about the wedding night than the place cards and flower arrangements. In fact, he had been thinking about the wedding night for some time.

Before Elizabeth had a chance to respond, he had captured her mouth with his. _Oh my, I've missed this_ , she thought longingly as she returned his kisses.

They both heard the knock on the door, but neither felt the slightest urge to stop what they were doing to answer it. Jack cupped her face as his kisses made a yearning go through her body.

"That will be Doris", Sabrina remarked, carrying an empty laundry basket, as the LaPointes came into the living room from the rear of the house.

"If you plan on going shopping with her, it might be a good idea to open the door," Paul added with a smile, as Jack reluctantly released his hold on Elizabeth.

"And we should be leaving now too, Jack, if you want to report into the office and find out what you've been missing."

"You know, I'm going to be thinking about kissing you all day", Jack said quietly to Elizabeth, showing his dimples, as he grabbed his hat and he and Paul moved out of the doorway, allowing Doris to first enter before they exited.

Elizabeth giggled. "I'll see you at lunch. But no kisses then, we'll be in public".

* * *

Several hours later, Doris and Elizabeth handed their bags and parcels to the taxi driver and wearily sat down on the back seat.

"Just one more stop to make", Elizabeth said to Doris, before calling out the address to the driver.

The two women were so busy laughing and talking that they didn't notice the shabbiness of the neighborhood they had entered until after the driver had already pulled away, leaving them on the side of the street surrounded by their packages.

"Elizabeth, are you sure you have the right address?", Doris asked as she peered at the street number on the door of the derelict shop.

"Let me check," Elizabeth answered hesitantly as she too noticed the broken window and paint peeling off the building.

Pulling the piece of paper with the scribbled address out her handbag, she read aloud, "146 West Elm Street".

"Oh, Elizabeth! This is 146 West Elk Street!" Doris exclaimed looking distraught as she noticed the street sign at the corner.

"Elizabeth, men are starting to stare at us", Doris said under her breath. "Let's get out of here . . . quickly."

"Well, how far away is Elm Street?"

"I have no idea. I've never been to this part of the city."

The two women scanned the area for another taxi, but saw nothing but crowded streets filled with delivery wagons and factory workers, some briskly walking towards large buildings to begin their work shifts while others tiredly walking away at the end of theirs. Pungent smells from the pulp and paper factory permeated the air.

"Be careful of purse snatchers and thieves." Elizabeth warned, remembering Jack's advice.

"I highly doubt a thief will want to steal your bag of books . . . . did you have to buy so many?", Doris groaned as she struggled with the heavy bag.

"I love books!"

"Well, if nothing else, we can use them to throw at anyone that bothers us."

Whistles from nearby workers who had noticed the women, caused them to gather up their belongings and start moving down the sidewalk.

"I wish Sabrina was here with us. She's the bravest of the three of us", Elizabeth remarked, looking nervously around at their location.

"I know. She could probably be a Mountie if she wasn't so tiny . . and a woman. Even I'm afraid to cross her", Doris replied, as she tried hold onto the packages while lifting her skirt to avoid it dragging. Finally, she gave up and let the beautiful fabric sweep up the dirty sidewalk.

The women passed an empty storefront, a pub, and a place advertising rooms for let, although it was beyond Elizabeth's imagination why anyone would want a room there, before they found an establishment that looked approachable.

Walking towards the entrance, the women hurried past a man in dirty overalls loading meat into a delivery wagon. He glanced at them briefly, and then turned and looked at them again, this time more curiously.

 _My goodness, his mouth is practically hanging open looking at us_ , Elizabeth thought as she watched the man fix his eyes on Doris.

The pungent smell assaulted them as they walked in the door. This wasn't Elizabeth's first time in a butcher shop. Although she rarely had to shop for necessities while growing up in Hamilton, she had ventured into markets and the local grocery shops on occasion.

But she had never been in one as large and overwhelming as this one with its entire front window covered by hanging chickens, and sides of fresh meat suspended from the ceiling on large metal hooks which ran the length of one long tiled wall.

Walking across the sawdust-covered floor, Elizabeth explained to the man behind the counter that they had been looking for an art supply store on Elm Street and had given the wrong address to the taxi driver; they were now stranded and in need of another taxi.

"I sell meat, not taxis," the butcher responded as he wiped his hands on his blood soaked apron.

"I understand that.", Elizabeth said, the irritation at his rudeness evident in her voice.

Taking a breath to calm herself, she politely asked if she could use his telephone.

"Ain't got one", the man responded as he swung his cleaver into a large piece of beef, causing drops of blood and flesh to spray through the air.

Elizabeth jumped back in time to avoid a large piece of fat from landing on her skirt.

She looked down and watched how quickly the sawdust soaked up the animal blood, keeping the floor from becoming a slippery mess of fluids.

Elizabeth noticed that the man in overalls had entered the shop and was standing a few feet away, pretending not to be interested in their conversation as he gathered some packaged meat.

Elizabeth turned in dismay to look at Doris.

"Perhaps, you know how we can get a taxi?" Doris politely inquired of the butcher.

"I suggest you find a place that has a telephone and call for one", he replied as he dropped slices of fat onto the floor.

"Can you at least tell us how far a walk it is to Elm Street or to the nearest taxi stand?!"

"Elm Street's the other side of the city, and there ain't no taxi stands in this neighborhood. Now if you ain't going buy anything, stop cluttering up my shop". The butcher swung his cleaver again, causing them to cringe.

Sighing in exasperation, the two women picked up their packages, which now had bits of sawdust clinging to them, and made their way to the door.

Doris anxiously looked at Elizabeth. Neither woman had any idea how to get back to the part of the city which was familiar to them.

"I can give you a ride, if you don't mind riding in the front of the meat wagon with me" the overalled man said as they passed him.

"If you're late for your deliveries, you're fired", the butcher yelled across the room, looking at the delivery man.

"I'll make em on time", the man answered gruffly.

Elizabeth didn't like the odd manner in which the man had been looking at Doris, staring at her when he didn't think she noticed, and then averting his eyes the moment she turned in his direction, but Elizabeth realized they didn't have much choice if they wanted to get out of the neighborhood. _We'll be on an open wagon in broad daylight,_ she reassured herself _._

The two women looked at each and nodded in agreement.

When they got to the wagon, the man took off his tattered neckerchief and used it to wipe off the long wooden bench seat. Elizabeth wasn't sure if the filthy cloth had gotten any dirt off the seat or actually just put the man's sweat on it. _Still, it was gentlemanly of him,_ she realized.

After wiping the bench, the man, who introduced himself as Tony, graciously offered a hand to each lady to help them up.

Elizabeth felt the roughness of his hand, calloused from hard labor, and was struck by how different in felt from most of the hands she had shaken in her lifetime; hands which had rarely worked in a factory or a field . . . or a mine. His hands reminded her of coal miners' hands and she felt nostalgic for home. _Coal Valley . . . Hope Valley . . . that's my home now_ , she realized with a smile.

As they settled down with their packages, Tony handed each of them a ham.

"You ladies don't mind holding something, do you?", he asked politely.

"I don't mind at all. I've never tried ham myself, but I understand it's very good", Doris replied with a smile.

As they left Elk Street, Elizabeth looked around at the bustling neighborhood, so foreign from the gracious house she grew up in Hamilton which sat on a street of long driveways and manicured lawns, and so foreign from the simple quiet town of Hope Valley which had neither long driveways nor manicured lawns.

She was grateful for the wagon ride despite the slightly uneasy feeling she got from the driver, who seemed oddly preoccupied. The sooner they left this area, the safer she would feel.

When Tony told them the time, Elizabeth realized it was too late to go to the art supply store if they hoped to meet Jack for lunch.

Tony informed the ladies that he had to make one stop before dropping them off. The restaurant where they were meeting Jack was a little out of his way, but he told them that he should get them there in less than 20 minutes.

"Thank you for going out of your way", Elizabeth said politely as she nudged closer to Doris and tried to keep distance between herself and the man.

"No worries."

"It was very nice of you to risk losing your job to help two strangers."

"It's okay. He won't fire me. I'm the best delivery man he's got. Besides, my wife would be furious with me if I hadn't helped, especially, well . . . ," he paused for a moment, trying to decide if he should say more.

" . . 'specially cuz the lady sitting next to you ain't no stranger."

When Elizabeth looked at Doris questioningly, Doris raised her eyebrows and shrugged in confusion.

"I couldn't believe it was you at first. You don't remember me, miss. I don't expect you to. Five years ago, I came into a store you was working in. I bought a can of soup, and you gave me an extra can . .. told me that they were on sale . . . they weren't."

"Well, I must have made a mistake", Doris responded in a friendly voice.

"You didn't make no mistake, ma'am. You knew they weren't on sale. I knew they weren't on sale. My wife knew they weren't on sale. The only one gullible to believe that was my little girl. First night in a long time, she went to bed with a full stomach."

"I went back a few days later, bought some more stuff. You done the same thing. Gave me two for the price of one. . . , and threw in some potatoes. You lied and said they were green and nobody would buy them. You didn't have to, ma'am. You could've treated me like I looked. Not much money and down on my luck, no job. Lots of people would have treated me like garbage. . . Not you though, you treated me and my family real nice . . real respectful."

"I got me a job working in a factory shortly after that, things turned around, got better. Couple years later, I got me this job. I've gone back to that store a few times, looking for you, wanting to thank you, but I ain't never seen you there again.

"I married and moved away for a while. It's my family's store", Doris explained looking pleasantly across Elizabeth at the man who was now staring straight ahead.

Elizabeth thought she saw the driver's eyes glistening. It could have been the sun making them tear up but she suspected it was his memory of how Doris had shown him kindness.

She also suddenly remembered how Jack had told her she was "thinking like a Thatcher" when she had criticized Doris's generous nature.

 _Why this is the man Jack saw in the store! The man he was telling me about when he was describing Doris to m_ e _!,_ Elizabeth realized in astonishment.

Elizabeth sat there stunned at the turn of events.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted!", she abruptly exclaimed in amazement.

While the driver and Doris looked at her curiously, Elizabeth handed her ham to Doris, and began rummaging through one of her shopping bags.

Pulling out a book, she quickly thumbed through it until she found what she was looking for. The horse-drawn wagon navigated through the city streets as Elizabeth began reading aloud to the amusement of the others.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, as the meat wagon pulled up in front of the restaurant, Elizabeth saw Jack waiting on the sidewalk. She giggled when she saw him do a double-take as he noticed the wagon's front bench occupants.

When Jack approached the wagon, the ladies joyfully greeted him, and Doris handed him several shopping bags and packages before having him help her down.

As Jack extended a hand to Elizabeth to descend from the wagon, she teasingly ignored his curious look and first handed him the ham which she had been holding on her lap.

Reaching into her handbag, Elizabeth handed the driver some cash and thanked him once again for the ride as she laid the book on the seat next to him.

"Tell your wife that I'll look her up if I need her services", she called out to the man, who tipped his hat and smiled before easing the horses back into traffic.

"Do I even want to ask?" Jack said as he shook his head in amazement and looked at the two elegant women standing on the sidewalk surrounded by shopping bags and a large cured ham.

Elizabeth giggled. "He's an old acquaintance of Doris's, and I bought the ham for Sabrina and Paul."

"And his wife? The book?"

Elizabeth smiled that Jack was back to noticing details.

"His wife is a seamstress and the book is a collection of Aesop's fables. It's a gift for his daughter. Now how about taking two lovely women to lunch and we'll tell you all about it?"

After enjoying a nice meal, Jack walked the two ladies back to the hotel and up to Elizabeth's room, his arms loaded down with her packages.

"Did you have to buy out all of Ottawa?", he asked incredulously as he set down the bags on the floor and sat for a moment on the edge of her bed.

As Jack sat on the feather comforter, his hand rested on the same bed where Elizabeth had slept hours earlier, and his mind wandered to thoughts other than shopping.

He found himself imagining how Elizabeth looked in bed, in a pretty cotton nightgown . . . or perhaps in a silk one with short sleeves for a warm summer night.

"Jack, are you even listening to me? I said Doris helped me pick out some adorable outfits for the new baby and some dresses for Jacklyn. And we had to get something for Sabrina and Paul, so I bought them a wonderful throw blanket and some dish towels. Then we found some books and some chalk that I can use in my classroom. . . . I gave one of the books to the driver. I bought Doris a beautiful scarf as a thank you for her help this week. And now we're going to go bridal shopping. Doris knows of a nice boutique."

Jack laughed. "We haven't even confirmed a wedding date yet. Shouldn't we do that before you buy out the bridal stores?"

"Jack, there's no harm in me looking at different dress options. . . and maybe trying on a few dresses . . . and maybe some veils."

"Fine, just try to leave something for the other brides to buy", he said as he stood up and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you around 7:00 tonight for dinner."

"By the way, my little walking disaster, you got some juice on your blouse", he said, pointing to her clothing before he walked out the door.

"I must have done that at lunch. Doris, I have to change before we go. I'm sorry. I'll be quick", Elizabeth said, looking at the stain, and then moving to the closet to get a fresh blouse.

"Take your time. I want to fix my hair."

Doris unpinned her hair, and shook her head, sending her luxuriant long tresses down past her shoulders, before she reached into her bag for a hairbrush.

"Oh, Jack's forgotten his hat", Elizabeth remarked as she noticed it on the bed, just as she finished unbuttoning her blouse.

"Would you mind trying to catch him?"

"I don't mind at all. You change out of your blouse. I'll run it down to him. "

* * *

Jack was walking through the ornate hotel lobby when he realized he had forgotten his Stetson hat in Elizabeth's room. _I_ _can use this as an excuse to get a kiss from her_ , he thought with a smile.

As he turned to go back to the elevators, he was surprised to hear his name being called.

"Jack?"

Mr. Thatcher was just a few feet away, standing with a group of other well-dressed gentlemen.

"This is a surprise. I didn't know you were in Ottawa," Mr. Thatcher remarked as he shook Jack's hand and introduced him to the other men.

"Just here for a few more days. I didn't realize you were here either", Jack said in astonishment, suddenly feeling anxious. _Why does this man always put me on edge?_ he thought.

"I'm here on business. Mrs. Thatcher is here with me also. She's just finishing her tea in the dining room. We always stay at this hotel. It's the best in the city. "

William Thatcher raised his eyebrows quizzically at Jack before he continued.

"Are you staying here on business? I didn't realize that the Northwest Mounties stayed at such establishments."

"No, I'm not staying here. I was just visiting a guest."

Jack thought about telling Mr. Thatcher that Elizabeth was staying at the hotel, but he wasn't sure how it would look. He also didn't feel like standing in the hotel lobbying explaining what had brought Elizabeth to Ottawa. Perhaps if Mr. Thatcher had been nicer, but his snide comment about Mounties not being able to afford a nice hotel was not lost on Jack.

Just then, Doris came into the lobby carrying Jack's hat.

As she called out to him from across the expansive room, Jack noticed the other men turn and stare at her in appreciation.

Jack shook his head in dismay when one of the men gave a low whistle. He thought about how Aaron must have to deal with this on a daily basis. Jack was used to Doris's good looks, but even he had to admit that she drew attention, especially now.

Jack knew that every man in the lobby was looking at Doris's long tousled hair and wishfully imaging she had just rolled out of their bed.

"Jack, I'm glad I caught you. You left your hat on the bed", she said, slightly out of breath from running to catch up to him. Turning to the gentlemen, she smiled pleasantly.

"Hello, I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm a friend of Jack's. I know a Mountie can't be out of uniform", she said as she handed him his hat.

As she excused herself and returned to the elevators, several of the men smiled and looked at Jack with admiration.

From the look on the men's faces, it quickly became clear that they assumed that Jack had just spent the afternoon sharing a room with Doris, and that Jack was the lucky man responsible for the tousled hair.

While the other men's eyes were envious of Jack's good fortune, William Thatcher's were livid.

Completely caught off guard by seeing Mr. Thatcher in the first place, and suddenly remembering his own early morning thought about what he wanted to do with the man's daughter, not to mention his recent visions of her, Jack anxiously tried to explain that Mr. Thatcher had misunderstood the situation.

Jack's nervous explanations . . . _she's a close friend who has been tending to my needs . . . I couldn't see things clearly . . . I stupidly thought my engagement with Elizabeth would be over . . . ,_ only made things worse.

Several of the men began making crass comments, which quickly caused Jack's nervousness to be replaced with irritation.

He scowled at their remarks that "Men will be men" and "Go easy on the boy, he's not married yet, William."

"She's a friend of mine, nothing more. Her husband is a fellow Mountie. Now, if you'll excuse me, please", Jack addressed the group.

Jack's attempt to end the conversation was futile.

"How dare you parade around in a hotel lobby with another woman when you are engaged to my daughter?!" William Thatcher's voice was full of anger.

"She's a looker, William. I can see why this young man would want to be out of uniform for her," one of the men said as he looked in the direction which Doris had walked.

"Mr. Thatcher, I can assure you that I have not acted improperly. I would never be disrespectful to Elizabeth", Jack's responded, attempting to maintain his composure.

"Not be disrespectful?! That's exactly what you've been doing, you miserable low-life."

"She's quite tempting", said another of the men trying to make light of the situation.

"Perhaps he'll give us her name once he's married", the chubby man with the cigar said with a laugh before Jack could respond.

Jack's knuckles clenched his hat in fury. He knew that Elizabeth's father thought poorly of him, but he would not allow Doris to be disparaged.

"I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making such low class insinuations about my friend", Jack said sternly to the men, who were taken aback by his harshness, and his contempt for them.

Mr. Thatcher angrily pulled Jack aside.

"It's bad enough that you insult my daughter by bringing that woman to this hotel in the middle of the afternoon, but then you insult me and my business associates! You are finished. Do you hear me?!"

"I would never insult your daughter. And I don't a damn about your business dealings! It's time you opened your eyes and started focusing on people, not their bank accounts!", Jack said furiously as he stormed across the lobby.

William caught up to Jack as his hand was reaching for the door.

"You are not marrying my daughter."

"Our engagement is not a business contract you can cancel, Mr. Thatcher!", Jack said in disbelief at the man's audacity.

"I will forbid her", Mr. Thatcher responded as if that settled the matter.

Jack gave a hollow laugh. "If you think you can keep Elizabeth from doing something she's got her mind set on, then you are mistaken."

Turning to stare directly at the older man, Jack's face was determined.

"And I am marrying your daughter. Nothing and no one is going to stop us from marrying. There's not a damn thing you can do about it, so don't even try."

As Jack stormed out of the hotel, he realized there was one good thing about the encounter with Mr. Thatcher; the guest list for the wedding was now shorter. He could tell Elizabeth to take her father's name off the list. Mr. Thatcher was definitely not invited. . . and neither were his business associates.

* * *

That night, across the city, in a small but clean apartment, Tony showed his wife the book of Aesop's Fables and read aloud the one that Elizabeth had read to him and Doris.

If he had read a few pages past that fable, he would have come across another, "The Cat, The Rooster, and the Young Mouse".

It was too bad that Mr. Thatcher didn't have a copy of the book. Perhaps, he would have learned a lesson from Aesop. He certainly didn't heed Jack's advice about focusing more on people. But then, sometimes it takes a near-tragedy to learn important lessons, as Mr. Thatcher was soon going to find out for himself.

 ** _Readers: Can you guess the Aesop fable which Elizabeth read to Tony and Doris?_**


	8. Chapter 8 - Look Both Ways

**Chapter 8 – Look Both Ways**

"What was I supposed to think?! He was leaving a hotel after meeting a gorgeous woman in her hotel room!", William Thatcher exclaimed hours later as he tried to apologize to Elizabeth for his actions.

"I told you, he was with _me_ in _my_ hotel room, father . . . . with a chaperone", she hurriedly added.

"And you're supposed to think that he's an honorable man who loves me. How could you embarrass him like that?", she asked scornfully.

"It was a simple misunderstanding", her father explained.

"Please tell me that Doris had no idea what you men were thinking?"

"No, No. She was gone before the men made their comments", William Thatcher said dismissively.

"Good. She and her husband are close friends of Jack's and I wouldn't want her upset."

"Why don't we just forget about it for now? Your father will apologize to Jack the next time he sees him. He'll also explain to his business associates that there was a grave mistake. . . that things were not as they appeared", Grace Thatcher said as she stood up from the settee.

"Elizabeth, darling, I am so happy we ran into each other in the hotel boutique. How lucky that we are visiting the city at the same time that you and Jack decided to visit his friends."

"Yes, mother, it is wonderful to see you, . . . if only father hadn't made a mess of things". Elizabeth sighed in exasperation.

"Grace, if you had seen this woman! She was holding his hat, talking about Jack being on a bed, looking like same damn enchantress", William Thatcher said, looking to his wife for support.

"Father, did you even bother to listen to Jack's explanation? No! You didn't! Doris is not just a gorgeous woman. She's a kind mother and wife. And Jack is not just a middle class man in a Mountie uniform. He's brave and loyal and smart and kind. You only see what you want to see! You've never seen Jack for how wonderful he is. You've never bothered!"

Elizabeth paused to catch her breath before continuing.

"I have to meet Jack for dinner soon, and you two have a business dinner to attend. I'll talk to Jack about this and perhaps we can all meet again tomorrow so father can apologize in person."

She stared at her father waiting for a reply.

"Yes, yes, I'll apologize to him", he agreed.

"I'm not sure if an apology will do much. I came upon them just as he was explaining to your father that the two of you are getting married. He was quite livid. ", Grace remarked hesitantly.

"Explaining?! He wasn't _explaining_ anything. He was _telling_ me in _no uncertain terms_ that he was marrying Elizabeth whether I approved or not!"

"Thank goodness for that", Elizabeth declared in a relieved voice.

 _It's high time that man of mine fought for us this week. I can't do all the work!,_ she thought to herself as she gathered her shawl _,_ and left her parents to meet Jack.

As Elizabeth's stood in the elevator, she bounced happily on her heels thinking of Jack bravely standing up to her father.

"He's so handsome. . . and he loves me . . . and he's going to be my husband."

"Yes, ma'am", the lift operator responded politely.

Elizabeth's faced turned a rosy shade of pink when she realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud.

When the elevator arrived at the lobby, Elizabeth hurried out the doors, almost bumping into Jack, who was standing in the lobby waiting for her.

"Jack!"

Jack couldn't help smiling when Elizabeth said his name.

"Hello, Trouble. Are you ready for dinner?", he asked, extending his arm to her.

Elizabeth grinned as she took Jack's arm and he escorted her from the hotel.

* * *

"Oh, Jack", Elizabeth sighed happily when they walked into the restaurant just a block away from the hotel.

"This is beautiful", she said in a hushed voice; her eyes taking in the painted murals on the walls, the chandeliers which were casting a warm glow on the linen draped tables, the soft deep blue velvet chairs.

As the maître d' escorted them to their table, they walked past the violinist who gave them a welcoming smile as he graciously glided the bow across the stings. Elizabeth smiled in return, recognizing the soft sounds of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" filling the room.

"I thought you deserved something nice after the dreadful way I treated you earlier this week", Jack grinned as they sat down.

"Did I say 'dreadful'?", she asked with a giggle.

"You did", Jack responded with amusement.

"Well, maybe I exaggerated slightly."

"No, I don't think you did."

Jack held her gaze for a moment, before solemnly adding, "I was truly dreadful to you."

"You are forgiven", Elizabeth stated happily as she looked at him.

As the waiter served their first course, Jack filled Elizabeth in on his afternoon encounter with her father and the businessmen.

He thought she seemed oddly unruffled by the event, even considering that she told him that she had already spoken to her father about it.

"Did you hear a word I said?"

"Yes, of course I did. He called you a miserable low life, he hates you, and you think he's an arrogant fool", Elizabeth responded casually as she examined the elaborate food on her plate. _What is this strange looking meal?_

"Doesn't that bother you?", Jack asked, amazed at how calmly she was handling things.

"These things happen", she said with a shrug.

"These things happen?!", Jack said incredulously.

"Jack, after the incident with you and the plant, I am not going to let something as simple as my father upset me."

"By the incident with me and the plant, are you referring to the incident where I blinded myself for 10 days, was a stupid fool, and tried to push away the woman I love?"

"Yes, that's the one", she said with a laugh.

"You certainly have a flair for the understated", Jack remarked with a smile and a slight shake of the head.

"Jack, he has a problem accepting us getting married. He'll get over it. And if he doesn't, well then he . . . well, . . . he will. I know he will . . . . eventually."

Elizabeth looked at Jack, who was now staring down at his drink; it was obvious something besides her father was on his mind.

"I was wondering how . . . . never mind".

Elizabeth paused before speaking.

"How your father would handle this? What he would do if he were here to support you?", Elizabeth ventured.

"How in the world did you know that?", Jack asked in surprise.

"Women's intuition", she said simply with another shrug.

 _Okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly just my intuition. Abigail mentioned that Jack would probably be missing his parents as we got closer to our wedding,_ Elizabeth thought.

Elizabeth reached her hand across the table and gently squeezed Jack's hand.

"I think your father would probably stand up to my father, just like you did. And then he would be cordial to my father because if he was anything like you, he was a true gentlemen", Elizabeth offered softly.

"You'll do the same thing for our boys if they ever want to marry a sophisticated, beautiful, intelligent lady", she added lightly with a smile.

"Boys? I thought we were having a girl. Just how many children are we having?" Jack looked at her quizzically with raised eyebrows.

"However many", Elizabeth said dismissively as if she hadn't given it any thought.

 _I could tell him now. . . . I could. . . about the Gypsy's prediction . . .Six children, mostly boys. . . No, I think he's had a hard enough day. . . . actually, he's had a pretty hard two weeks. . . .he's already been blinded, there's no need to traumatize him anymore!_

"Have I ever told you that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me?" Jack asked.

"Once or twice". Elizabeth grinned before picking up her fork and turning her attention to her meal.

When Elizabeth noticed the silence, she looked up to see Jack gazing at her; he wasn't smiling or unsmiling. . . he was just staring at her.

Jack's voice was low and sincere as he touched her hand across the table, his thumb tracing little patterns on her soft skin.

"I'd like to take you in my arms and kiss you right now".

Elizabeth suddenly felt teary eyed. She didn't need clear eyes to know how much he loved her; she could hear it in his voice.

"I wish we were back home. In my parlor, or at the jail, or in our mine. Just the two of us", she said softly.

"We can catch the next train", Jack quickly offered, a smile spreading across his handsome face.

Elizabeth giggled.

"No, we cannot. We are meeting my parents for tea tomorrow so father can apologize. But I did send Abigail a telegram asking her to tell the students' parents that we'll be back on Friday. I hope the students have been working on their reports."

"Well, we better eat up if we're leaving town this week. You need your energy for all your last minute shopping . . . if there's anything in Ottawa left for you to buy."

* * *

That night as William and Grace Thatcher lay in bed, William huffed in frustration.

"He told me I need to focus more on people rather than on business! What kind of naïve man is our daughter marrying?!"

"He's a good man, William. You're just too blind to see it. Our daughter loves him. Just be happy for them", Grace said as she turned off the bedside light.

"How dare he talk to me that way? I am Elizabeth's father!"

"I'm pretty sure he knows who you are at this point, and quite frankly, I want our daughter to marry someone like him. Not some man who only wants to please her father."

"What's wrong with pleasing her father?!" William retorted, even as he begrudgingly realized that he agreed with his wife.

"You will apologize to him tomorrow, won't you?"

"Yes, yes. I said I will, and I will."

William punched the pillow in frustration, effectively ending the conversation.

* * *

The next day, William snapped shut the latches on his dark leather briefcase, and reached for his jacket. Adjusting his gold monogrammed cufflinks, he didn't give a thought to his daughter or her fiancé'.

William's mind, as usual, was on the shipping business and his meeting with several potential and very lucrative clients.

He had barely even acknowledged his wife when she mentioned that she would be joining him and his partners for lunch.

Jack's words to him from the prior night, that he needed to focus on people, had been quickly replaced by his accountant's words on cost over-runs, contracts, and projected profits.

* * *

Walking out of the headquarters, Jack kept his hand firmly on his leather satchel. He had been unnerved at first when he had entered the Mountie office and felt his bag moving against him. It took him a moment to realize that the little kitten was becoming quite the stowaway.

Luckily, it was just a quick trip to headquarters to provide them with the doctor's clearance allowing him to return to work, and Comet had remained quietly tucked away.

Jack glanced at the rain clouds which had been sending down bursts of rain off and on throughout the morning. As the sun came out briefly, the man selling flowers on the street corner caught Jack's attention.

While the man wrapped up three separate bouquets and teased Jack about being a ladies man, Jack laughed and reached into his satchel to remove his wallet. _Three women?! One_ _Elizabeth is more than I can handle sometimes_ , he thought with a grin.

Handing the money to the vendor, Jack didn't notice the small grey squirrel scurrying down the sidewalk until it was almost beside him.

Before Jack could grab her, the kitten scampered out of the open satchel, barely managing to land upright on her four tiny paws before she went darting after the squirrel.

 _Darn cat_ , Jack scowled. _That thing has been attached to me this whole trip. Now she suddenly runs off!_

He knew he should go after the kitten. Elizabeth had grown fond of the little thing, and the skies looked like they might start raining again.

After ten minutes of fruitlessly searching behind garbage cans and trees, and looking under bushes, Jack was getting frustrated.

 _This is a waste of time_. He looked down at his pant legs, now wet from kneeling on the damp ground, and shook his head in annoyance.

Deciding to give up and hoping that somehow the kitten could find her way back to the LaPointes, Jack wondered how to tell Elizabeth.

Suddenly, Jack saw the small bundle of black fur streak by. Now hot in pursuit of a leaf blowing in the breeze, the kitten scurried around the corner of a large brick building.

As Jack quickly rounded the corner after the kitten, he saw her, the woman.

She was standing in the middle of the street, struggling with her shoe, the heel of which had become stuck in the narrow streetcar track.

The men in their tailored suits, engaged in business conversation and oblivious to her situation, had already finished crossing the intersection and were moving down the sidewalk.

"William", she called out after them.

"William. My shoe!", she called again.

Lifting up her dress slightly and staring down at her shoe in exasperation, Grace Thatcher forgot that she was stopped in the middle of a busy street.

Even the gentlemen, deep in conversation over trade contracts, didn't realize the seriousness of her predicament until the streetcar had already turned the corner.

When William realized what was about to happen, the blood drained from his face. He knew with dread that he could never reach her in time.

"Look out! Graceeeee!"

She jerked up her head at her husband's scream.

Wide-eyed, Grace looked at her husband and then quickly turned her head in the direction of the headlights coming at her.

She frantically looked down at her ankle boot, but knew that she could never undo the delicate laces in time. . . . Her shoe was stuck in the smooth metal track of the city streetcar system, and she was stuck in her shoe.

For a fleeting moment, she naively though that the streetcar would swerve to avoid her, even though she knew that it was impossible for it to leave its track and the overhead wires.

She stood frozen in the path of the streetcar, paralyzed by fear and the jammed shoe.

Her desperate and terrified scream was drowned out by the continuous blasting of the streetcar's horn as it came bearing down on her.

* * *

Moments later, her heart racing, Grace lifted her head from the wet pavement. She winced when she touched her elbows, and saw her torn dress and scraped skin.

Other than some minor scrapes, she realized that, miraculously, she was alright.

Somehow, or rather, someone, had made sure she had been pushed out of the way of the streetcar.

Someone had saved her life.

"What happened?" she gasped, as she clung to William, who was now kneeling beside her.

"We need an ambulance!" William yelled into the crowd.

"I'm okay, dear. Just shaken up", Grace said as she tried to stand up, and realized that the heel was broken off her boot.

"Not for you, . . . . . . . . for Jack", William Thatcher said gravely.

Jack lay quietly and unmoving on the pavement, his blood mixing with a puddle of rain water as the crowd gathered around him. The bouquets of flowers lay scattered and broken.

 _ **Dear Readers, another vignette is almost done. There's just one chapter left. If you've read my other vignettes, you know that I usually bring everything together, even if sometimes in a slightly unusual way. :) For those of you who have written reviews, I enjoy reading them, and I think you'll be pleased with the last chapter! Follow this story and you'll be notified when the last chapter is posted. Enjoy!**_


	9. Chapter 9- Looking Forward

**Chapter 9 – Looking Forward**

The rain had kept Elizabeth in the department store longer than she had originally intended. Not wanting to venture through the streets in the drizzle, she had spent extra time browsing through the store, looking through various china patterns, stemware, and linens.

When they had parted last night, Jack had told her that he would be busy most of the morning with his final ophthalmologist appointment and checking in at Mountie headquarters. Although he had mentioned that it might take a long time, she suspected that he just didn't feel like spending the morning browsing through ladies fashions and home goods with her.

Likewise, Sabrina and Doris were both too busy with the children to shop with her today, and her mother had a salon appointment and then had plans with her father, so Elizabeth had decided to go shopping by herself, which she was actually enjoying for the most part.

The only slightly depressing part of the morning was when she had finally found a beautiful wedding dress and had asked about dress fittings and alterations.

The saleswomen had looked at Elizabeth as if she had been hibernating in a cave all season. Didn't she have any idea how demanding the summertime was for weddings?,the woman had asked her in a condescending and shocked voice.

Elizabeth actually thought she heard the women angrily mutter "Do I look like a fairy godmother?" under her breath when Elizabeth asked if the dress could be ready by next month.

Elizabeth felt like telling the woman that, as a matter of fact, she didn't know how demanding the summertime was for weddings because she had been too busy teaching a schoolhouse full of children, taking care of a temporarily blind fiancé, and trying to hold together her engagement which her fiancé was determined to end. _Try doing all that while planning a wedding!_

Even the Thatcher name wouldn't help move her ahead of a long line of socialites who needed dresses for weddings, debutante balls, and other special social events.

Looking through her appointment calendar, the saleslady had informed Elizabeth that her next available appointment for a fitting wasn't for another five weeks, and then, of course, it would be even longer until any alterations were actually completed.

When Elizabeth looked distraught, the woman suggested that she might have better luck at a store in Hamilton.

"I had an appointment in Hamilton but I missed it because I was arrested and thrown in jail!" Elizabeth threw up her hands and cried out.

The saleslady looked taken aback before quickly hurrying away. Almost knocking over a mannequin in her haste, she gave a final wary look over her shoulder at Elizabeth, before disappearing out of sight.

Looking after her in dismay, Elizabeth decided it would be useless to follow the saleslady and explain that her arrest was while fighting for women's suffrage. Shaking her head in exasperation, she decided to move on to looking at the veils. _At least they don't need fittings_.

Trying to decide between a veil which covered the whole head, or one for just the back half, Elizabeth overheard two young women discussing their own upcoming weddings. They both were adamant about not getting married on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. A baffled Elizabeth finally interrupted their conversation.

"Excuse me, but what's wrong with getting married on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday?"

One of the woman looked at Elizabeth in shock. "You're not planning to, are you?"

"No. . . Actually, I'm planning on a Wednesday . . . possibly," Elizabeth said hesitantly, wondering if that was equally bad or even worse.

The shorter woman responded, "Oh, you're fine then. I wanted to get married on a Wednesday, but mother insisted on a Monday."

The other woman reached into her bag and pulled out a book, which she handed to Elizabeth. "Page 18", she said simply.

Elizabeth looked at the title of the book, _"Lady CeCe's Complete Guide to Planning a Wedding,"_

Turning to page 18, Elizabeth began reading.

 **Although there are different versions of this rhyme**

 **depending on where one resides, whether**

 **it be Great Britain or North America, the traditional day**

 **for the most promising of marriages is consistently**

 **Wednesday, with Friday often found to be a day of**

 **troublesome predictions.** **Of course, what is most**

 **important is not the actual day of the marriage**

 **but the ingredients that go into it. Both parties**

 **must be willing to sacrifice and fight for their love**

 **and for their marriage.**

 _ **Marriage Days**_

 **Monday for wealth,**

 **Tuesday for health,**

 **Wednesday, the best day of all.**

 **Thursday for losses,**

 **Friday for crosses,**

 **Saturday for no luck at all.**

 _Jack was right! A Wednesday will be the perfect day to get married_ , Elizabeth thought happily.

Returning the book to the owner, Elizabeth wished her luck with her wedding and marriage.

"I'll be fine. I'm getting married on a Sunday. There's nothing about that in any of rhymes", the girl said as if that settled the matter.

* * *

By the time the rain had stopped, Elizabeth's stomach was starting to growl and she remembered that she had only had a simple piece of toast with jam for breakfast.

Realizing that no one was expecting her anytime soon, she decided to have some tea and a meal in the department store's restaurant.

It felt good to sit down at the small café style table and rest her tired feet after a morning of browsing the store. Letting her tea cool just a bit, Elizabeth reached into her purse and pulled out her wedding list, which she had started months ago and which was now three pages in length.

Her eyes glanced down the long list of necessities, which she had been adding to almost every day. She had crossed out Hope Valley as the location, but still couldn't decide if a five course meal would be sufficient for the reception or if it should be a full seven courses.

For her bouquet, she was undecided. Jack said he didn't care, but she was torn between roses and peonies . . . or maybe a mix of both.

In addition to getting the dress fitted, she had to find shoes, undergarments, hair accessories, and decide on her jewelry.

She also had to choose appetizers, decide on the height and color of the table candles, select the color of her sisters' dresses, and pick a wedding time so the men would know if they were to wear morning coat or white tie.

She assumed that most out-of-town guests would stay at the best hotels in Hamilton, but she wasn't sure if her parents wanted to host the breakfast for the day after the wedding at their home or somewhere else.

She hadn't even confirmed a wedding date with her parents!

With a shock, she realized that she hadn't given any thought as to how long it would take the calligrapher to address the hundred or more invitations.

In fact, the only thing she was positive about and which didn't need alterations was the groom.

Elizabeth sighed. It was all so overwhelming, and she knew that she and Jack didn't need the extravagance. _He's been a good sport to put up with my planning and indecisiveness over details._

It was time to start making decisions.

Quickly finishing her meal and gathering her purchases, Elizabeth's mind was so preoccupied with new plans that she didn't notice that she had forgotten to put the pages of her wedding list back in her purse.

When the waiter came to clear Elizabeth's dishes, he found her carefully written wedding list beside her plate. Looking around and not seeing her, the waiter cleared the table, crumpled up the pages of Elizabeth's fine stationary with her elegant penmanship, and threw them in the trash.

* * *

Entering the taxi cab, Elizabeth carefully laid her purchase on the seat next to her and informed the cab driver that they had several stops to make, beginning with Sparks Street.

After a busy morning driving an unusually large amount of passengers who were annoyed with the rain, the driver was quite content to sit in the taxi and let his fare run up as Elizabeth handled her errands.

At one of their stops, the driver waited at the curb, while Elizabeth ran inside and came out with another passenger, who gave the driver the address of their next destination, just a short distance away. If the driver was surprised by the passenger and the address, he didn't say anything; he was too busy thinking of his increasing fare to bother questioning the odd couple in the back seat. Besides, he had seen plenty of odd things while driving a taxicab.

Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth left her purchase and the extra passenger behind, and directed the driver to take her to the telegraph office.

She sent two telegrams, one to Port McNeill and the other to Hamilton. She could have made an appointment to use the trunk lines and made a long distance toll call to Hamilton, but sending a telegram seemed faster at this point.

Walking out of the telegraph office, Elizabeth looked up at the sun shining through the clouds, and noticed a rainbow fading into the distance. When she pointed it out to the driver, who was lazily holding open her door for her, she remarked happily that they would have good luck. He simply shrugged and informed her that in some cultures a rainbow was considered bad luck.

 _Goodness, some people just aren't that pleasant_ , she thought. She decided to walk the short distance back to the hotel and enjoy the sunshine rather than the backseat of the taxi and the pessimistic driver.

As she strolled by the entrance to the restaurant where she and Jack had dined the previous night, she paused for a moment before she turned around, pushed open the door, and went inside.

Finally, entering the hotel after a very busy day, an exhausted Elizabeth spent a few minutes pleasantly talking to the hotel manager, a very nice gentleman in his forties that Elizabeth had met on previous visits, before she approached the front desk to ask for her room key.

Glancing at the large clock on the wall, she realized that it was much later than she had expected. _Jack is probably wondering where I am_ , she thought.

"Just a moment, Miss. You have three messages in your box", the desk clerk said, handing her several slips of paper. At the same time, he gravely motioned for the doorman to hail a taxi for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth gave him a puzzled look and started to tell him that she didn't need a taxi but she stopped in mid-sentence when she read the first message.

Grasping the wooden edge of the long front desk for support, her eyes hurriedly scanned the second message.

The third message fluttered to the floor where she dropped it as she ran from the hotel lobby.

* * *

When Elizabeth entered the hospital, she ran straight to the information desk, grabbing ahold of it as her shoes slipped on the floor, which was wet from galoshes and umbrellas despite the orderly's best efforts to keep it mopped.

When the nurse explained that they didn't have a patient by the name of Jack Thornton, Elizabeth insisted she look at her roster again, but the nurse still didn't find any patient named Thornton.

It wasn't until a fretful Elizabeth explained that he was a Mountie who had been hit by a streetcar that the woman smiled.

"Oh, you mean the handsome dark haired young man. He's here. But you have his name wrong. It's Jack _Thatcher_. He was in room 102, but his father had him moved to one of our private rooms. Let me just check the number."

"His father?"

"Yes, his father is William Thatcher. I'd never heard of them, but apparently it's an important family . . . just a moment. . . He's in room 214. Down the hall, up the stairs, and to the right", she said looking up from her roster and pointing towards the stairwell.

After running down the long sterile hallway and up two flights of stairs, Elizabeth was nearly out of breath when she reached the top step, but she managed to gasp out the room number to a passing nurse, who gave her a bewildered look and pointed her in the direction.

As she entered room 214, Elizabeth heard her father ordering the nurse to get Jack some more pillows.

"Elizabeth, it's about time you got here. I called the hotel three times and left messages for you. Jack needs his rest, so don't stay long", her father instructed her when he saw her enter.

"I'll go and see about getting him something decent to eat. . . . Nurse, get my son those pillows!" he bellowed at the timid nurse, who ran from the room.

"I'd better go make sure your father doesn't get anyone fired", Grace said as she smiled at Elizabeth and quickly followed after her husband.

Elizabeth hurried to Jack, who was sitting up in bed smiling at the situation.

"He's been bossing the staff around ensuring that I get the best possible care."

"What happened?!" exclaimed Elizabeth.

"Apparently saving your mother's life has elevated me to the status of your father's son and his favorite child. I hope this doesn't make us siblings", he teased as she leaned in to give him a kiss.

While Elizabeth sat on the edge of the hospital bed, Jack explained that he had had the breath knocked out of him in the accident when he had hit the pavement. The streetcar had managed to slow down a bit thanks to the quick action of the conductor; nevertheless, a sharp metal edge had caught his leg, causing a deep gash which required some stitches. He'd also have some bruises and scrapes, but he'd be fine.

Mr. Thatcher had thanked him over and over again, apologized for ever misjudging Jack, and insisted that Jack be kept overnight, in the hospital's best room, to ensure that he was alright.

Jack had also heard Mr. Thatcher berating himself for paying attention to business instead of to Elizabeth's mother when they were walking.

"He keeps repeating that he needs to focus more on people rather than on business."

"It sounds like the Thatchers are becoming more like Thorntons." Elizabeth said with a smile, as she moved closer to Jack, running her hands gently along his cheek and to his hair. For a few moments they gazed at each other while he enjoyed the feeling of her fingers running through his hair.

 _I'm never letting you out of my sight again_ , she thought to herself.

Elizabeth noticed Jack's satchel hanging on a wall hook along with his jacket, his shoes placed on the linoleum floor beneath it. Lying across a chair were the remnants of the colorful bouquets. Most of the flowers were bent over with broken stems, those that remained unbent had missing or torn petals, and leaves that were crumpled or smooshed.

"Were those for me?", she asked.

"They were, before they were hit by a streetcar. I thought you and Sabrina and Doris would have appreciated them. Those are the remains. They were actually really pretty", he remarked with a slight frown.

Elizabeth walked across the room to the flowers and softly fingered the petals. Closing her eyes, and bringing the array of colors to her face, she inhaled the magnificent fragrances. There were peonies and roses, with zinnias, pink cone-flowers and simple daisies mixed in to form what must have been gorgeous bouquets.

"They're beautiful. Thank you. . . . Where did you get them?"

"A street vendor, just a few blocks from the hotel".

The knock on the door interrupted Elizabeth's thoughts.

"Excuse me, I just came to inspect the stitches. I know that we just did them recently, but your father is insistent on ensuring that we keep an eye on you."

The nurse looked apologetically at the couple, and then motioned over her shoulder with raised eyebrows, as William and Grace entered the room following close behind her.

"I'd like to see them myself, actually," Elizabeth said moving towards Jack, as the nurse pulled up the starched white bed sheet exposing Jack's leg.

"Elizabeth! Do you really think that's appropriate?" Grace asked, slightly taken aback by her daughter's forwardness.

"I've already seen his knee, Mother. And I want to make sure that the stitches were done properly".

Jack looked puzzled. "I've seen your knees, but when have you ever seen my knee?"

"Jack Thornton, for a man who prides himself on noticing details, I can't believe you don't remember that. Just how many women have you shown your knee to?", Elizabeth asked with feigned indignation.

"AHEM", Mr. Thatcher cleared his throat. "I think we've heard enough talk about knees. There's only so much a father wants to know."

After examining the stitches, and patiently informing Mr. Thatcher that they looked exactly the same as they did just a few hours ago when the doctor did them, the nurse replaced the bandage and politely excused herself. Before she had made it out the door, Mr. Thatcher reminded her that he wanted someone checking on Jack every hour.

The nurse simply smiled at Mr. Thatcher, gave Jack and Elizabeth a sympathetic friendly look, and moved out of the doorway, allowing a boy with the paper bags to enter.

"Ahh, that will be the food I ordered for Jack. There's enough for you too, Elizabeth," Mr. Thatcher said as he handed money to the boy in return for the bags emitting a wonderful aroma.

"We'll leave you two to eat in peace. We'll see you back at the hotel, Elizabeth." Grace poured a glass of water from the pitcher by the bedside table and handed it to a smiling Jack, who was clearly finding humor in the indulgent treatment he was receiving.

"Jack, we can't thank you enough." Mr. Thatcher placed one hand on Jack's shoulder as he reached out his other to shake Jack's.

"It was nothing, Mr. Thatcher."

"It most certainly was not nothing. And I told you to call me William or father. We're going to be family."

Before leaving, Grace leaned over and gave Jack a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you", she said tenderly.

The two of them alone again, Elizabeth watched as Jack ate his meal. He repeatedly ensured her that he was fine, which he told her she could see for herself because she had barely been able to stop gazing at him since she entered the room.

"You need to stop looking at me sometime", he informed her with a chuckle.

"I should probably let you get some rest", she said as she nibbled on one of his French-fried potatoes.

"Probably. But I'd rather you didn't."

"Between your accident earlier and now this, I'm beginning to think that you might be the walking disaster in this relationship,. . . and that you are exactly the kind of man that needs this woman by his side".

"Or somewhere else," Jack added with a gleam in his eye, as he put their food on the bedside table and pulled her into his arms.

Their kissing was interrupted by a knock on the open door.

"I believe this half-drowned kitten is yours. I noticed the name on its collar", the officer said as he held up the mewing kitten by the scruff of its neck and handed it to Elizabeth.

"I found it crying under a bush near the accident site", he added before wishing Jack a speedy recovering and leaving the couple alone.

Grabbing a towel, Elizabeth sat back on the bed and tried to dry off the little kitten as it squirmed and mewed.

Exasperated by the kitten's constant attempt to bite her fingers, Elizabeth gave up on the little creature. Feeling Elizabeth release her hold, the kitten jumped from Elizabeth's arms onto Jack's chest, where it snuggled into a ball. Within seconds, it was purring quietly and then fast asleep.

"She likes you better than me!"

"She's a daddy's girl", Jack said with a smile.

"It's seems you're everybody's favorite person today", Elizabeth remarked.

"I only care about one person", Jack said, catching her eye, and showing his dimples.

"It also seems like our little Halley's Comet is a good luck charm. If it weren't for her getting loose and streaking by me and around the corner, I wouldn't have been in that area and seen your mother in the street", Jack added.

Elizabeth leaned over and gave the kitten a grateful kiss.

Suddenly she pulled back and stared wide-eyed at Jack. "What did you just say?!" she asked excitedly.

"I said that it seems like our little Halley's Comet is a good luck charm."

"And? . .. " Elizabeth motioned for him to continue.

"and if it weren't for her getting loose and streaking by me and around the corner, I wouldn't have been in that area and seen your mother in the street", Jack repeated, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"It happened." Elizabeth said slowly in disbelief.

"What happened?"

"You said it! You said it might happen! And it did!" Elizabeth exclaimed gleefully as she grinned at Jack.

"Said what?" he asked, still perplexed.

"You said that you had as good a chance of my father accepting you as you did of seeing Halley's Comet streaking by again! And you did, and he did!"

Jack raised his eyebrows and looked skeptically at Elizabeth, then his face broke into a smile.

"I love you"

"I love you too", she said as she leaned in for a kiss.

"I love you more", Jack murmured.

"Impossible" she whispered back.

Her mind thought back to her day's errands.

 _The bakery on Sparks Street, the one that she and Jacklyn had earlier discovered, and where she had today placed an order for a small wedding cake, the hotel solarium which she had reserved with the manager for the reception, the butcher shop's filet mignon, Tony's wife who had graciously agreed to do the alterations in one day, the restaurant violist who had been flattered by her request and said it would be his pleasure to perform, and now a street vendor where she could get her flowers. It was all perfect. And it had been so easy! Now all she had to do was tell the groom._

"So you think my father finally approves of you?", she asked in between kisses, barely taking her lips off his.

"Definitely. He offered to pay for our honeymoon", Jack said grinning broadly.

"Good, . . . because we're getting married this Wednesday", Elizabeth informed him softly as she leaned in for another kiss.

If Jack was surprised by her comment, he didn't show it; perhaps that was because he was too busy passionately kissing her.

 _ **The End of Vignette Five**_

Dear Readers, if you've read the first five vignettes, you know that I've written about a rabid dog, a wounded Mountie friend, misunderstandings, a fire, snake bites, an avalanche, broken ribs, a bruised ego, a gypsy, troublesome relatives, an arrest, a wanted fugitive, temporary blindness, and lots of love.

 **"Vignette Six - Wedding Dust" - is the culmination!**

 **"Vignette Seven- The Rules of Being a Wife" - Can Elizabeth follow the rules?**

 **"Vignette Eight - Changes" - A dramatic turn of events puts Jack and Elizabeth in peril**

 **"Vignette Nine - The Lingering Scent of Lavender" - A mysterious presence**

 **"Vignette Ten - Snowfall" - A short but very important story!**

 **"Vignette Eleven - Wishes and the Necessary Vessel"**

Don't forget, I write a more fun-filled story under the name Woolenslipper. It's "Reversal of Fortune: What if things were different." Give it a try for something different than any other fan fiction story out there!

 **P.S** **. For you avid T.V. watchers, when did Elizabeth see Jack's knee?**

 **P.S.S. For you super avid T.V. watchers, to whom in Port McNeill was Elizabeth sending the telegram?**


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